


Fumarole

by Tigerine (sealink)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Era, Canon-Typical Violence, Drama, M/M, Romance, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-25
Updated: 2013-12-09
Packaged: 2017-12-24 14:56:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 13
Words: 21,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/941316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sealink/pseuds/Tigerine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SPOILERS FOR ANIME AND MANGA. Rated for later chapters. Eren settles into life at the Survey Corps headquarters. Levi has only a few weeks to train the youth in his charge and tame the raging Titan inside him, delivering humanity's savior by any means necessary. Written parallel to the series, this fic imagines a relationship between Eren and Levi in the canon world between canon events and will continue until the very end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write a work that fit in more snugly with canon. I haven't written a fic like this in a long, long time, so forgive me if this is a little rusty starting out. Rated for later chapters.

Eren Jaeger wound the reins around his hand again, reaching down to scratch his horse’s neck. The bay gelding was one of the trained warhorses used by the Survey Corps to hunt the Titans. It was easily 15 hands high, two hands taller than any other horse he’d ever ridden, glossy and well-fed, in spite of grain shortages. Eren shifted in the saddle, rubbing one thigh absently. It had only been a few hours, but he wasn’t used to this hunting saddle; his muscles were beginning to ache.

“Never been on a horse before, kid?”  Auruo’s horse picked its way past fallen branches. “Country boy like you from Shiganshina? Thought all you bumpkins knew how to ride.” Auruo’s lip curled, exposing his teeth.

“This horse is much taller than any other I’ve ever been on, “ Eren shifted again, “and the saddle is weird.”

“That’s a quality piece of horseflesh,” Auruo sniffed. “Can’t believe they’re giving such a fine horse to a complete beginner.” He patted his own horse affectionately. “I’m surprised you’re not used to riding in a hunting saddle, though. What, did you bobble around on a plow pony in training? Bareback I assume?”  

Eren didn’t answer.

Met with silence, Auruo sneered. “We’ll have to teach you how to ride from the beginning if you’re going to go beyond the Wall.” He droned on, complaining about how far away they were from the city, how little respect the Corps got, and on and on.

Eren twisted in his saddle, stretching his back. As he turned, he looked behind them. The wall was small and white in the distance, over the rolling, fragrant meadows and fields that fit together like a patchwork quilt along the roads, cairns and low stone fences marking the boundaries of property. The stand of trees they were riding through had no such fencing, and in fact, it had been some time since he had last seen a signpost.

His eyes slid over Petra and the supply wagons behind her. She seemed constantly on the alert, her eyes  searching the trees they rode past, but always, they came back to rest on him, dividing her time between mistrust of the trees and mistrust of Eren. Next to her rode the Captain, but he made no polite attempts to avoid staring. His pale gaze was piercing and unwavering, boring into Eren. Even after he turned around to fix his eyes on the path ahead, Eren thought he could still feel Levi’s eyes peeling back his muscles to lay bare his Titan core.

 _Or my human core. I don’t really know which one I am, down deep._  Eren pulled the hood of his cloak closer. _It doesn’t really matter. I am alive because the Captain spoke for me. I’ll do whatever he asks me to do to keep humanity safe._

They rounded a bend in the road and their ‘new’ headquarters came into view. The shabby castle sprawled out across the countryside. Despite the squeeze on human resources, all available land was not yet being cultivated. Recovery from the massive losses associated with the attempts to retake Wall Maria following Shiganshina was sluggish. Families hesitated to have children, hesitated to buy land from magnates, collectively holding their breath to see if Wall Rose would be breached.

Auruo didn’t miss the silent exchange between Eren and Levi. This brat thought he could waltz into this unit and just get all the recognition of a full squad member?

“Hey, don’t get cocky, rookie,” Auruo snapped, ignoring Eren’s yelp of surprise.  “I don’t care if you’re a Titan or not, just because Captain Levi was put in charge of supervising a stupid brat like you-“  His words ended in a burble of blood as his horse faltered on a stone in the road.  Captain Levi kicked his horse past Auruo as he sulked silently, the iron-shoed hooves ringing in the cobbled stableyard.  

“Get the cover off of the well and water the horses,” Levi ordered, swinging his leg over his horse’s rump and dropping off the other side. He pulled his mount into the stable; the rest of the group did likewise, the supply carts rattling in behind them.  Petra left her horse saddled for the moment and came back outside, lifting the wooden cover to the well to the side and checking the ropes before dropping a bucket down into the darkness.

Eren dismounted, wincing as his legs straightened, and drew the reins over the bay’s head, leading him into the stable and finding the only stall still vacant was the one next to Levi.  He slipped the bridle and reins off, hanging them on a nearby nail, but left his halter on. The saddle was next, and he stepped out of the stall to hang it on one of the racks outside.

Levi was closing up his horse’s stall. “Here,” he said, offering a curry comb and brush.  “Groom him now. You won’t have a chance later.” 

Levi turned on his heel and walked away, making a dismissive gesture with one hand. “Get some bedding down from the loft, too.”

“Yes, sir!”

Levi stopped abruptly, his arms swinging, but didn’t turn around. Eren saw him flex his fingers in annoyance, as if resisting the urge to punch something. “Save your enthusiasm, Jaeger. We have a lot of work to do.”

Eren watched the Captain leave. Levi’s stride was easy, quick; he was clearly used to long hours in the saddle. Eren’s thighs burned anew as he shinned up the ladder and began tossing forkfuls of dry hay down onto the stable floor.

He worked in the stables and yard, following the lead of Petra and Auruo. They cleared away weeds from the large courtyard in rear of the castle and headed in as the sky turned gold in the evening.  The baths were cold and dinner was rudimentary, just a crust of bread and some cheese with water. “The rest of the staff should be here tomorrow,” Petra offered, smiling apologetically.

Levi drained his terracotta tumbler. “We have an early morning tomorrow. “ He flicked his eyes to Eren. “Time for bed, brat.”

“Yes sir.”

Levi picked up a lamp and walked with Eren down into the belly of the castle. The faint glow of torchlight drew them downwards, their footfalls echoing off the stone.  A cell not dissimilar from the one in Central awaited him, dark and windowless.  His trunk had been dropped outside the cell. Levi took a large iron key from his pocket and opened the door.

“Get in.”

Eren stepped in gingerly, looking around.  He’d have a decent bed in this one at least.  There was a washstand in the opposite corner and a chamber pot by the bed. That was an improvement, too.  No privacy, but he hadn’t had that since joining up with the Trainee Corps anyway.  Levi shoved the trunk in with his boot and brought the lamp into the cell. The stone floor shone, recently scrubbed.

Eren realized that Levi was watching him and he flustered under his unwavering stare. “T-Thank you, Captain.”

 “We’ll see if you deserve any better,” Levi responded.  He looked Eren over once. “Strip. I’ve got to chain you in.”

Eren didn’t protest, although he rankled at the idea of being chained up again. He shucked his jacket, draping it over the end of the bed, and sat on his trunk to remove his boots. Levi set the lamp down on the floor and reached down near the floor to pick up a set of manacles wound through an iron ring. Levi sat on the bed, the manacles dangling off his fingers, as Eren undressed.

“Hurry it up. I don’t need a show,” Levi said, irritated. Eren jerked in surprise and tugged at the straps of the harness, shoving them down his legs and stepping out. The chest harness only took a few more buckles and then it was off too. Levi regarded him silently, and Eren felt his cheeks burning from the scrutiny as he unbuttoned his pants and tugged his shirt off.

“Captain, there’s not a place to hang my harness-“

“What the _fuck_ , Jaeger—“ Levi moved, the manacles clattered to the floor, his hands were on Eren and he threw him to the bed, his other hand leaning down to pick up one metal cuff and slam it shut around Eren’s wrist. He leaned across Eren, slapping the other manacle around his wrist and froze as he leaned back.

Eren was grimacing in pain, his left hand clenched in a fist, but he refused to make so much as a peep. _Don’t make a noise, not this close!_

Levi grabbed Eren’s forearm and examined the manacle. Some of Eren’s skin had gotten caught in the hinge. Silently, Levi adjusted the manacle, smoothing out the pinched skin with his thumb. Eren’s wrist was warm under his fingers, and the youth’s nearly inaudible sigh of relief hissed like a steam vent in his ears.

Levi stood abruptly. “Don’t take so fucking long next time,” he snapped. He picked up the lamp and stepped out, locking the cell door behind him. Eren shut his eyes tightly and sagged into the bed, finally able to relax without Levi’s watchful eye on him. Exhaustion overcame him; he was lost to the world before Levi’s footsteps faded.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren gets accustomed to his new home and his new commanding officer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has left comments-- they're very inspiring.

_Hot, so hot._ The steam peeled off the Titan in sheets as the rain pelted down on it.  

 _Ten meters.  An Aberrant?_  Levi could hardly see anything at ground level, but there were no trees, no walls he could climb to get up and away. He stumbled away, reaching for his blades as he ran.

  _Nowhere to run._ The ground was soggy underfoot, but he slogged through the wet grass, his breath catching at the first thundering footstep behind him. A sweltering blast of air ruffled his cloak and made his hair stand on end in the cold rain. The Titan advanced, the muck sucking at its feet. He splashed through a mud puddle, the rotting smell of mud curling his lip in disgust.  The sodden field seemed to spread out forever.

 A stentorian roar shattered the silence and made Levi’s guts vibrate inside him. _A Titan’s roar?_ A single, huge tree swam into view.   _There._

Levi leapt, firing his cables and drawing his blades, swinging around the trunk. Another roar slammed into him as he landed on a branch and turned to face his attacker, but was brought up short by the appearance of a second Titan.

 _Fifteen meters._ Green eyes lit with a ghoulish fire peered out from under a heavy crop of brown hair. The larger Titan was well-muscled; its quads rippled as it pivoted and lunged for the ten-meter-class, bellowing. The Aberrant, focused on Levi, hardly seemed to notice the larger Titan’s fist until its shoulder was torn out. Fastening glassy brown eyes on its opponent, saliva dripping from its mouth, the Aberrant dug the fingers of its other hand deep into Eren’s flesh.

_Eren._

Eren howled and wrapped his fingers around the hand that burrowed into his muscles.  He ripped the arm off the Aberrant and cast it aside, his wound steaming. Eren’s fist connected with the rictus grin, one punch shattering the Titan’s jaw. It toppled and Eren’s mouth opened wide, both rows of teeth glinting, his long tongue lolling out, a great cloud of vapor issuing forth, like the breath of a dragon. With a wild shriek, Eren leapt on top of the Aberrant, feet first.  A sickening crack followed the first stomp, and then steam hid how Eren crushed the Titan’s corpse into the mud.

Levi was waiting when those green eyes turn toward him. Their eyes met, hunter and hunter, hunted and hunted. Eren panted, a low rumble escaping his mouth, and broke into a run, his shoulder down – _he’s fast!_ – and crashed into the tree—the limb shook and Levi was falling—

Levi’s eyes snapped open and he grimaced briefly, rubbing his forehead with his hand. Titan dreams weren’t something he usually suffered from.  _Never had a Titan killed by another Titan in any of them._

Levi sat up in bed, fumbling for the knob of the lamp and turning the wick up, wincing at the sudden brightness. A yawn escaped him as he eased out of bed and slid his calloused feet across the cold stone floor to peer at the clock.

 _Might as well get a little more sleep._  The image of a titanic Eren flashed through his mind, and with a resigned grunt, he picked up the lamp and tugged open his door.   _Just after I check on Jaeger._

The hallway beyond was dark; his lamp cast a wide nimbus around him. The torch by Eren’s cell had burned down to embers. As he drew near the cell, he lifted the lamp high to check on his prisoner.

Eren had wormed under the blankets, his shackled arms folded over his stomach. Levi watched Eren’s chest rise and fall, slow and steady.  “What a fucking brat,” he murmured out loud.

***

The rasp of the key in the lock woke Eren before Levi had even opened the door.  “Get up, Jaeger,” Levi  said as he crossed the room, keys in hand. He offered one shackled hand to the captain lazily, covering a yawn with the other. Levi unlocked both of his hands silently, slipping the keys back into his pocket.

“Breakfast is at 6,” Levi tossed over his shoulder as he walked out. “Don’t be late, brat. We have a lot to do today.”

“I hope it’s not more cleaning.” Eren heaved himself out of the bed, trudging over to the washstand.

“It doesn’t matter what it is. You’ll do as you’re told, when you’re told, you got that?”

There it was again— the command in his voice, the none-too-subtle threat. Eren splashed his face with water from the washbasin, reaching for the folded towel next to it and briskly rubbing his face and neck. He wadded up the towel and turned to dress when Levi seemed to materialize out of thin air, and his knee connected with Eren’s solar plexus, pinning him to the wall. Eren’s eyes widened and he sagged against Levi. He wheezed, sucking in one great breath and then coughing, a fleck of sputum splattering wetly on the floor.

Levi’s lip curled in disgust and he picked Eren’s head up by the hair, looking into his face. When he spoke, his voice was deadly quiet. “Do you need additional discipline before you learn to answer to your superiors?”  

“N-No, Captain,” Eren managed, grinding his teeth.

“See that you don’t.”  Levi stepped away, and Eren collapsed in a heap on the floor. Levi walked lazily out of the cell and down the hall. “Don’t forget, breakfast at 6.”

Breakfast was just Levi and his special ops squad. Petra and Auruo looked around expectantly at the empty mess hall around them. “Did they not make it in last night, Levi?” Petra ventured.

Levi lifted his teacup to his lips before speaking. “They did. Had some trouble with the cargo.”  At the word ‘cargo’, his grey eyes flickered across the table to Eren.

“Jeez, I thought moving them at night would have been less troublesome,” Auruo grumbled. “At least _she’s_ asleep, though.”

“Yes, for the moment,” Levi muttered.

“Who is?” Eren looked around at the squad.

“Never mind about that, brat.” Levi set his teacup back on the saucer.  “You’ll need your maneuver gear today.” He jerked his head at the door behind him. “Go fetch it.”

“Yes sir!” Eren answered immediately, still feeling the ache of Levi’s knee in his guts.  Levi’s face remained motionless, but was there a ghost of a smirk that played around his lips? Eren didn’t stick around long enough to find out.

The maneuver gear turned out to be a necessary tool in cleaning the windows. It was a surprisingly calming task. Eren rarely got to use his maneuver gear but there was the pain of death that waited for him to make a mistake. He steadied himself against the stone wall, bouncing back and forth to clean the large panes in the arched window casements.

“Jaeger, how long until those windows are done?”

“Almost done, sir,” Eren hollered down.

“Good.  Report to me when you’re done,” he replied.

Levi’s words were clearly audible, even outside, though he hadn’t ever raised his voice. The captain’s force of personality was such that everyone was compelled to listen when he spoke. The military trial had listened to Levi’s skillful manipulations and all but granted Eren clemency. His team trusted him in spite of, or perhaps because of, his brusque manner. _At least,_ Eren thought, _you always knew where you stood with Levi, because he told you._

***

Levi’s sleep was light and fitful. He strained to hear Eren’s footfalls in the corridor, a small knock on the door, reporting for his lockup. _Surely the little shit wouldn’t try to avoid being locked in?_ He turned over in bed, checking the crack under his door for the glow of a lamp—nothing. His irritation stewed.  Hanji might keep him into the wee hours of the morning, prattling incessantly about her pet Titans. It gave Levi the creeps.

“You have to promise to let me do some experiments on him, Levi,” Hanji had pleaded.

“Do whatever you like with your freakish kennel,” he said sourly. “Jaeger isn’t part of it.”

“He’s not just _your_ pet, you know.”

“Begging the question that he’s anyone’s pet, Hanji,” he countered.  He trusted Hanji implicitly, but he also found her boundless enthusiasm for the Titans tiresome, along with her penchant for naming them, and her obvious distress (and countervailing delight) during experimentation on her subjects. It was much simpler when Titans were a body count. Boarding them at your headquarters complicated things.

Something glinted in Hanji’s eyes, something knowing about the way her lips turned up at the corners. “Sure he’s not,” she said, waving his foul look away. “Hey, I can walk him if you’re too busy to exercise him.”

 _Too busy to exercise him._ Levi pursed his lips as he tossed in bed, fuming. _I’ll work him to the bone right up until we leave for Wall Rose!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The third chapter is already underway, and we'll start seeing more intense interactions between Levi and Eren.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren struggles with his uncertain position in the Survey Corps after the death of the Titan specimens.

Hanji somehow managed to keep talking all night, right up until the sun rose. Eren was exhausted. The day’s work seemed forever ago and his eyelids threatened to slide closed at any moment. He would welcome the chance to sink into his soft bed in the quiet dungeon. He’d even welcome his dour-faced jailer chaining him up, the weight of Levi’s hip on the bed as he leaned over to clap the shackles on him. Eren blinked slowly, relishing the darkness behind his eyelids, painted as it was with the flicker of the torches, and the shadows of Levi’s face. _God, I’m tired._

A commotion out in the great hall interrupted his train of thought.  Boots slid over stone, running, then the door was thrown open. “Is Squad Leader Hanji in here?!”

Hanji had already stood, her lips drawn into a thin, grim line, her brow knotted.

“The Titans… the test subjects… they’ve been killed!”

Eren was not unused to seeing people come unglued. The wail that burst out of Hanji’s mouth as she careened out of the room, the tears that streamed down her face, they all mirrored the grief he’d seen in the faces of mothers and wives for the past five years. He followed her to the courtyard and the steaming piles of bones, rope restraints feebly encircling their vertebrae. The iron nails made gruesome outlines of their limbs, the wooden timbers ringing their corpses like gallows. Hanji was bereft, going from one disintegrating Titan to the other, blubbering their names, her hands curled into fists in her hair. Eren half-expected her to burn herself cradling their scorching bones.

Snatches of conversation jumped out at Eren from the milling crowd.

“—someone in the Corps?”

 “—don’t know who did it—“

“—this morning—“

“—3-D maneuver gear—“

“—these were valuable specimens. What kind of person could do this?”

Eren looked at the bones again, the misshapen skulls seeming to smile at him. A chill ran through him and he lifted his hood to hide his face.   _I can’t really blame anyone for wanting to kill Titans._

Movement at his left elbow jarred him out of his reverie. Captain Levi stood next to him, taking in the scene of the frantic Hanji, the damage to their Titan research. Levi’s face betrayed no more emotion than he might reserve for watching laundry dry, no more bothered by Hanji’s desolation than he might be by a mild inconvenience.

“Let’s go. The Military Police will take it from here.”   Levi turned to leave.

“Y-yes.”  Eren turned to follow Levi.  The crowd parted before him, moving to one side or the other.  Levi stiffened slightly and a familiar voice said, “Eren—“

“Commander?” 

Irwin Smith’s face was somber.

“What’s going on?” Why would the Commander approach him? Had he done something wrong?

The tall blond man grasped Eren’s shoulders; he wasn’t looking at the now prone figure of Hanji as she mourned her Titans. He was looking at Eren’s face, searching. “What does it look like to you?” His voice was low, low enough to be caught in the din of the crowd. “Who do you think the enemy is?”

Eren was at a loss, opening his mouth and then closing it again. The question he’d been asked was not ‘Who killed the research specimens?’ He sensed that Commander Smith was probing for the solution to a problem Eren didn’t know existed.Commander Smith looked over Eren’s shoulder to Levi before releasing the boy’s shoulders. “Sorry for asking you strange questions.”  He vanished as quickly as he’d appeared, melting into the crowd. Eren stared after him for a few moments. _What could he have meant, “the enemy”_?

The crowd mingled together around him, and he turned to follow Levi, only to find he had disappeared. Eren adjusted his hood and walked past the soldiers that continued to arrive in the rear courtyard, pushing his way into the great hall. People continued to huddle out of the building past him, but more than one met Eren’s eyes and lingered, their mistrust evident in their faces.  The realization hit him like a bolt from the blue.

_If a soldier killed Bean and Sawney in spite of their value to humanity, then any Titan could meet a similar fate.  Any Titan…_

_I have to find Levi._

He didn’t bother trying to walk normally, jogging over to the small door under the side staircase that led down to the dungeon. It was only pushed to, but he tugged it fully closed behind him, the latch clattering.

"Captain Levi?” There was no answering call, but Eren thought he could detect the captain’s footsteps. He jumped down the stairs as fast as he dared, two or three at a time. Finally, in the last long corridor down to the dungeons, Eren saw him. That person was too short to be anyone but Levi.

“Captain!” Eren called out to Levi’s back. Levi didn’t turn around;  Eren reached out and caught his shoulder. “Captain Levi, I—“

Levi’s left foot connected solidly with his ribcage, but Eren deflected the second blow reflexively.  He almost instantaneously realized what a mistake that had been. Levi swept his legs out from under him, a vicious light gleaming in his eyes. Eren got to his hands and knees and Levi brought the heel of his boot down in an axe kick between Eren’s shoulder blades, sending him sprawling. Levi seemed to stop to collect himself, and Eren panted, pushing himself up again. _I can smell his soap_.  Levi tangled his hands in Eren’s hair and drove his knee into Eren’s temple. Holding his head, he collapsed on the floor on his side. Levi bent over and hauled Eren up by his shirtfront with both hands, pinning him against the wall with his body. _He’s warm_.

“Don’t fucking touch me again, you filth.”  Levi’s breath was ragged, and his lips parted as if he wanted to say more, but then thought better of it. Eren blinked an assent, working his jaw to attempt and make words. Levi slammed him against the wall again. Eren winced. “You are detained for the rest of the day, Jaeger.”

Eren met Levi’s cold gray eyes, matching his stare. “Thank you, sir.”

***

Hate had served Levi well for many years in his personal battle against the Titans. He hated the Titans, he hated the walls, he hated their stupid grins, the screams of their victims, the colossal waste of resources—they were easy to hate.  Hate was something every soldier could tap into. Plenty of other soldiers also had things like principles that pushed them into the war against the Titans, jingoistic self-sacrifice writ in the face of every new turnout of the Trainee Corps.  But what drove Levi was pleasure.

The heavy pull of his blades through a Titan’s skin, the way their jaws opened when they died, the steaming pile of a Titan corpse. He survived by glorying in the spray of hot blood, by relishing the crash of the Titans on the ground, the whining song of a maneuver gear cable. What was more, Levi was good at killing. He would have been out of place in any other time, but at the twilight of humanity’s hope, he was a hero for killing as many fucking Titans as he could. Their death fulfilled him, a sobering, if brutal, expression of his humanity. _I am alive. They are dead. I am alive._

Like any good pack hunter, Levi cherished the trust he developed with his comrades. They were his family, even if they did not share the same motivations to kill Titans. He trusted them with his life and they trusted him with theirs. They became an extension of him in the field and he fought fiercely to protect them from all comers. _We are alive. They are dead. I am alive._  

And then there was Eren Jaeger.

Levi saw himself in Jaeger, the raw bloodlust, the talent for killing. Jaeger took all that Levi had to offer, his knowledge and experience,  and absorbed it easily. Eren Jaeger’s force of will alone had saved the human race at Trost. That stirred something like admiration in Levi’s heart. If Eren ever lost control of his Titan form…

_No, better not to think about that._

Levi watched Jaeger pick himself up and lurch toward his cell. He couldn’t quite solve Eren Jaeger yet, but beating the shit out of him had helped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I've ever done two chapters in one day before, but I am really excited to explore the relationship between Levi and Eren more. Next chapter coming soon!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite his reservations about Eren's usefulness, Levi agrees that they must try to test hypotheses about Eren's Titan form. Meanwhile, Eren begins to feel as if the distance between Levi and himself is shrinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really surprised and pleased by how many people are enjoying this! Thank you for tolerating the shorter chapter lengths; they allow me to increase output and keep a steady pace instead of getting mired down.

Levi escorted Eren to dinner that night; the mess hall buzzed with activity. Two troops of Survey Corps members had come with the Titan research subjects and formed the detachment responsible for planning the expedition beyond Wall Rose. If anyone noticed the yellowing bruises on Eren’s face, no one raised the issue in front of Levi. Eren did his best to ignore the waves of contempt that seemed to emanate from Levi as they ate. He made no attempt to strike up a conversation—every comment felt forced.

The mood followed them to the baths, which had blessedly had a fire lit under the cisterns. The hot water felt amazing on Eren’s muscles. All of the events of the past days hit him all at once and he was just so _tired_. It was all he could do not to lean against the shower wall and nod off.

Eren already dozed as Levi locked his manacles around his hands, murmuring a “thanks” to Levi, drawing his chains under the covers to warm them and dropping off into a deep sleep.

His dreams were full of steam and blood, and he woke with a start, raising a trembling hand to his face to rub the last vestiges of it from his eyes.

“Jaeger?”  

Eren looked up at the door to his cell. The glow of a lamp bathed the dead end of the corridor. Levi sat in a chair with his back to Eren; Eren could only see Levi’s right shoulder and the way his legs were crossed, pointing away from the cell.

_Levi._

The night had a way of drawing souls closer together. In ancient times, humans believed that the veil between this world and the next drew thinner across the darkness of a night sky. Whether the cause was something supernatural or simply human nature, people were more honest during the night.  With each other and with themselves.

“I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Levi’s foot shifted. “I wasn’t asleep.”         

An achingly long silence stretched between them, pressing in on Eren until he couldn’t stand it anymore.

“I-I’m sorry for startling you earlier.”

No response.

“I just didn’t… I thought that the…” Eren sat up, leaning back in bed, his manacles clanking as he folded his hands in his lap. “I saw Bean and Sawney and then Commander Smith asked me who I thought was the enemy.”

Eren tilted his head back, looking at the stone ceiling. “I thought that it was strange he’d ask me that. I thought, ‘aren’t the Titans the enemy’?”

No response.

“But then I thought more about why they were killed. Maybe Titans have something in their body that is dangerous, something that shouldn’t be known by everyone.” Eren closed his eyes. “So if someone wanted to keep that a secret, they might kill the Titans, so that no one found out.”

Again, no response. _Maybe he’s fallen asleep?_

“I’m a Titan, too.  Or I have it in me to be one, some of the time. What if I have that secret inside me?  I might be killed.”  Eren tried to steady his voice, but even saying it out loud, that someone wanted to kill him, the possibility made his stomach drop through the floor.  

“That won’t happen, unless you lose control of your Titan form.”  Levi didn’t sound the least bit sleepy.

“Sorry if I’m not as confident as you are, Captain.” Eren looked down at the manacles and jerked his arms, testing the chains. The shackles were really uncomfortable, and their nightly presence were beginning to leave a ring around his wrists. He could barely lay his arms at his sides.  Pulling against them felt good, but the links were well-forged and eventually he let the chain go slack. “I feel like an easy target for anyone in here.”

“Would you be more at ease if I unchained you?”

Eren’s heart stumbled in its rhythm. “Y-Yes!”

“Tough shit. When you’re chained up, you can’t injure yourself to transform.” Levi re-crossed his legs, his top leg bouncing into view. “Until you prove you can control your Titan form, the chains stay.”

Eren felt deflated, all the air let out of his hopes of being able to sleep unchained. “And if I can’t control my Titan form, you’ll kill me,” he said dejectedly.

“Yes.” Levi’s voice was firm.

Eren let out a resigned sigh. “You don’t really have a choice, Captain.”  Eren scooted back down in the bed, tugging the blankets over his arms again. “If I can control my Titan form, do I have to stay in this cage?”

“The cage is to protect you as much as it is to protect everyone else.”  Levi paused, so long that Eren thought he might have dozed off, but then he added, “It will depend on your behavior, brat.”

Eren cracked a small smile. _At least he’s considering it._ “I’m going to try to get some sleep.”

Levi hummed an acknowledgment. Eren lay back down on his side, staring into the darkness. Though he did not drop off to sleep until an hour later, it felt like they had said all that needed to be said.

***

Eren’s candor kept Levi up long after he heard Eren’s breathing slow and deepen. He grappled with the realities of the situation, his words at Eren’s trial echoing in his own ears:   _I know I can kill him, but I’m not sure I can do less than that._

Levi desperately wanted to do less than kill Eren. Humanity’s disadvantage in this war only increased with every sortie. Eren could be the key to turning the tide in their favor, seeming to warp reality around him with his impossible power. That power meant humanity’s victory. _Eren Jaeger is a key—no, the key—to restoring human control over Wall Maria. Without him, we would probably go extinct._ _I have to think of a way to save him._

***

 “I said before that the only way to stop you when you’re in your Titan form is to kill you.” Levi stepped up to the chalkboard and picked up a stick of chalk.

 “With this method, you can get away with just serious injuries.” Levi began to draw a rough human figure on the chalkboard. “In short, we’ll need to cut a big piece of meat with your human body inside it from the critical spot on the Titan’s neck.” 

Levi drew an outline of where the incisions would be made, bisecting all of Eren’s limbs. “We’ll end up chopping off your hands and feet in the process, though.” He shrugged. “No big deal, since you’ll just grow them back anyway, like some kind of freaky lizard or something. It’s gross,” Levi said.

“W-wait a second, “Eren protested. “Isn’t there some other way? We can’t be sure that my limbs will grow back.”

“Are you saying that you want a way that has no risks, where no sacrifice is necessary, is that it?” he challenged, his voice icy. _Is your miserable little life worth more than mine? Worth more than Erd’s? Auruo’s? Or Petra’s? Of course it is. That’s why I will risk my life and the lives of my comrades—my family—to make sure you are on the battlefield, fighting for humanity._

“N-no…”

“Then that’s an outcome that you need to prepare for.”  Levi set the chalk back on the ledge in front of the chalkboard. “There’s a danger that you might be killed in the process, but we’re in the same boat, since we’re risking death at your hands, so relax and trust us.”

 _Trust us. Trust me._ Levi willed Eren to accept the terms. _This is all we can do._ _If you can’t accept this risk, I don’t know why the fuck you’re here, or why you joined the Corps at all._

“Yes, sir,” he said at length. “Understood.”

***

Hanji needed time to find a good location where Eren’s Titan power might be tested, but contained. She rode out early the next morning, two members of the Corps in tow, and returned at sunset.

“There is a gamekeeper’s cottage to the northwest,” she said at dinner around mouthfuls of cold roasted chicken left over from the closure of the kitchen. “The well dried up a few years ago and it was abandoned.”

Levi nodded, following her train of thought. “We’ll give it a try tomorrow, then.”

He looked at Eren and then stood, pushing his chair back. Eren took the meaning immediately, trailing after Levi as he headed down to the dungeon. He was getting a little better at reading his inscrutable commanding officer, or maybe he was just becoming sensitive to cues that always existed.

Eren had his harness half-unbuckled as they turned the corner to his cell, already shrugging it off his shoulders, one hand tugging at his belt buckle. Levi set down the lamp and leaned against the wall, watching Eren undress, his face a mask of disinterest. Still, Eren felt heat flush his cheeks and he was grateful for the strong shadows created by the lamp that hid his embarrassment.  He climbed into bed, pulling the blankets up to his bare shoulders and looking at Levi expectantly.

Levi slowly leaned away from the wall, walking over and picking up one of the shackles. He sat on the edge of the bed, taking Eren’s wrist in his hand and closing the shackle around it. Levi’s thin fingers were uncharacteristically cool on his skin and Eren shivered, goose bumps pebbling his flesh.  Levi lifted one eyebrow and Eren had to smother a smile with his chained hand. _I don’t think I’ve ever seen his face move that much._

“What’s so funny, Jaeger?”

Eren cleared his throat, trying to push the smile off his face with his hand. “N-nothing, Captain.”

“Suit yourself.”

As he leaned over Eren to fasten the other shackle around his wrist, it struck Eren how close Levi was being with him. _Sitting on my bed, leaning over me like this._ As the other shackle clicked shut, Eren tried to remember if he’d ever seen Levi this close to anyone.

***

_I’m getting a little too close to this brat._

Levi had come to actually look forward to chaining Jaeger up for the night. “Tucking him in,” as Auruo smirked. It was a nice bit of routine in an unpredictable world. In spite of himself, he was beginning to think of Eren as a member of his squad. _Part of the family._ He stepped out of the cell, locking it behind him.

“Good night, Captain.”

Levi rolled his eyes, but kept walking. “Sweet dreams, you fucking brat.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spans the events of Episode 20 of the anime and Chapters 25/26 of the manga. Eren steams up his cell and a field inside Wall Rose in completely different ways.

_I can’t wait any more._

The pressure on top of him was warm, insistent.

_For you._

The smell of fine milled soap.

_I have wanted this—for so long._

The sensation of heat on his neck, teeth nipping at his throat.

_I need—you_

The sound of ragged breathing and the rustle of clothing. His mouth covered by a kiss, voracious, demanding, fingers at the back of his neck, in his hair.

_Eren—_

A hand slid over his hips, searching, finding, stroking.  Pale grey eyes flicked downward, and then a flash of heat, a bolt of electricity straight to the base of his skull. His head was spinning; he arched up, moaning against Levi’s mouth.  He was never going to be able to last.

Eren woke with a low moan, his cock jerking against his belly as he came. His arms were twisted; he’d managed to bunch up his blankets between his legs.   _Ugh. What a mess_. He realized with a start that the lamp— _Levi’s lamp_ – was sitting out in the hall, but the chair that Levi sat in was empty. 

“Oh thank—thank goodness,” he couldn’t help breathing out loud. How mortifying would that be, seeing the man he’d just dreamed about kissing staring at him as he came in his sleep.  Instinctively, he rearranged the blankets, trying to cover himself.

Rubbing his face with his hands, he couldn’t purge the image of Levi hovering over him. _I just dreamed about my commanding officer, about kissing him._ He clapped his hands over his face again, his chains clinking. _And not just any commanding officer, but Captain Levi._ “You have got to be fucking kidding me,” he grumbled into his palms.  

“Should someone your age really be using language like that?”  

Levi’s voice made Eren’s skin crackle. Eren snapped his head up. “S-Sorry, Captain.”

“It was a joke.” _Was that a smirk on Levi’s face?_

“S-sorry, Captain.” The apology slipped out again before he could stop it. _This is… really bad._ Eren squeezed his eyes shut. _Really, really bad._

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Jaeger?”  Levi sat, facing away from the cell, a slim book on his lap. “Nightmare?”

“Something like that.” Eren’s hands were shaking.

“Want to talk about it?” Levi sounded utterly disinterested in hearing about it.

“No.” Eren fell back into his pillow and shoved his hands under the covers. Distinctly aware of Levi’s presence, he slipped his underwear off under the blanket as discreetly as he could, using them to mop up the congealing semen on his stomach and stuffing them between the mattress and the bedframe.

_No, I do not want to fucking talk about it._

***

The well was deep and mostly dry; the lack of rain in the days prior meant it was only soft earth instead of deep mud, but it still stank of rotting things. Eren looked up at the circle of sky and the silhouettes of Levi and Hanji.

“When I’m ready, I’ll fire a smoke round.” Eren could hear the glee in Hanji’s voice. “What to do next is up to you!”

“Understood!”

Eren waited in the cool well, his fingers flexing. He couldn’t help but feel apprehension at the thought of turning into the Titan again. The hiss and whoosh of a signal pistol were faint, but the green smoke round that grew in the circle of sky made him grit his teeth.  

 _I haven’t tried it since the operation to plug the hole. What if I lose control_? The signalling round above him unfurled in the gentle breeze. _I might not have to worry about an assassin in the Corps’ headquarters.  I might just get killed by Levi’s squad._  

Steeling himself, he took the fleshy part of his thumb between his teeth and bit down. Pain wracked his body and he slowly, shakily, took his hand out of his mouth, recoiling at the feel of his flesh against his own teeth. _What? It didn’t work?_

He tried again, his teeth slicing into the meat of his palm. His knees were going weak and he saw black spots bloom in front of him. _No… try the other hand!_

There was no hesitation in his bite. Blood filled his mouth, painted his teeth red. He spat it out. Again, he bit, the blood gushing out. The pain of each bite jangled his nerves like alarm bells, until his whole body rang with agony. Eren blinked back tears as his hands began to throb.  He looked at his bloody hands, the deep, round grooves made by his teeth pulsing, filling and emptying with his heartbeat.

The people that had been bitten in half by Titans, their bodies had been neatly cut out in half-moons by teeth… by teeth just like his.

Under his skin, his veins were blue-purple. _Maybe there, at my wrist. Maybe that will be enough._

“Did you manage something?” Hanji’s voice was hopeful.

Eren looked up at the figures above him. “H-hanji,” he stammered. “I can’t seem to turn into a Titan…”

The silence from Levi was deafening to him.

***

Levi’s displeasure was obvious. He hadn’t even been able to be near Eren while Petra bandaged his hands. Auruo and Erd gave him a wide berth as they set up the small stove to boil water for tea. Mike and Gunther likewise busied themselves setting up field chairs and a collapsible table.

 _So Eren Jaeger’s Titan power wasn’t the boon we wanted it to be. So it wasn’t reliable_. Levi clenched his fist. _Thank God they’d tried it out. Thank God they hadn’t actually wasted anyone’s fucking life on this brat._

His black mood even extended towards the people not in his squad; Levi snatched the tin cup from the Corps member that offered it to him, stalking out beyond the table to collect himself. Taking a deep breath and trying to control his anger, he blew on it gently. 

 _There must be some other way to activate it._ He narrowed his eyes, filtering through his knowledge about Titans and Eren Jaeger.    _Maybe he needed other Titans around? Was there some kind of hive mind at work? No, he’d been alone when he transformed with the initial team that entered Trost._ _Danger? Did he have to be in danger for it to work?_ Levi’s lips twisted cruelly. _I could arrange danger._ Having gotten control of himself he took one more deep breath and then turned around.

Eren looked absolutely miserable. He hadn’t even touched his tea. He was rubbing his bandaged hands; Levi could see the darkness of drying blood under the white gauze.

“The wounds you got when you bit your hands didn’t close up?”

Eren avoided his probing stare. “No.”

Levi glowered at him. “If you lose your ability to transform into a Titan, our plan to plug the hole in Wall Maria, which is riding on that ability, will go down the fucking drain.”

Eren had met his stare as Levi delivered the dressing-down, but lowered his eyes at the mention of Wall Maria. Levi knew he’d hit a nerve; he regretted resorting to bullying, but... _Maybe this will motivate him._

“I am ordering you: do something about it!”

“Yes, sir…” Eren’s voice was soft.

 _Fucking hell, this kid._ Levi turned on his heel and walked off in a different direction.

“Don’t you think that’s a little harsh, Levi?” Petra came over to smooth his feathers. She always approached the other members of the team when there’d been a disagreement.

“No.”  

“I mean, don’t you think this is kind of good?” She smiled a little. “I’m kind of relieved.”

“Why?” Levi made a face. “This is a shit sandwich, Petra. We can try to talk about how much we enjoy eating it, but it is still a shit sandwich.” He scowled. “We are depending on him to make this work. If it doesn’t work, then we’ll have problems. Bigger problems than a few days wasted in the countryside looking at a fucking hole in the ground. Bigger problems than not being able to retake Wall Maria.”

“What do you mean, Levi?” Her voice was cautious, that of someone who probably didn’t really want to hear the answer.

“Never mind. I shouldn’t have said anything.” He lifted his cup to drink from it again and nearly choked as a blast of heat and steam hit his back.

_Heat and steam… but no roar. That means…_

Dropping his cup, he strode into the hot vapor. The steam burned his lungs, stinking of metal and ozone. The unmistakable sound of blades sliding from their cases prompted Levi to leave his in his maneuver gear. _Must get to him before they do._

“Wh-Why now?!”  Eren’s voice was frantic and confused.

“Calm down.” The vapor drifted away, and, as he’d expected, the entire team ringed them with their blades drawn.

“Captain Levi! Th-This is..!”

“I said, calm down, men.”

“Eren! What’s the meaning of this?!”  Erd couldn’t tear his eyes from the bones and muscle of the Titan arm.

“Eh?!” Eren sputtered, clearly as confused as anyone about what had happened.

“Why did you do it now, without an authorization?! Answer me, damn it!”

“Hold it, Erd.” _Didn’t anyone understand? Couldn’t they see how dazed, how afraid Eren was?_

“Answer the question, Eren! What did you try to achieve by doing this?” Auruo. Mad suspicion raged behind his eyes.

“No, that will come later.”  Gunther stepped closer. He had been able to stop looking at the horror of bones Eren was on top of, or his anger had overridden his desire to make absolutely sure it wasn’t moving. He was looking directly at Eren.  “First, prove to me that you’re not hostile towards us! Or towards humanity!”

“Eh?!” Eren was helpless before their onslaught. _He can’t even defend himself. Wouldn’t he have done something by now, if he could?_

“Prove it! This instant! You owe us that!” Gunther brandished his blades; they glinted in the afternoon sunlight.

“The moment that hand of yours so much as twitches, you can kiss your fucking head goodbye, you got it?” Auruo yelled, spittle flying from his mouth. “I ain’t kidding, I’m more than capable of taking you. Wanna try me?”

“Auruo! I said calm down!”

“Captain, get away from Eren, please!” Petra was panic-stricken. “You’re too close, it’s dangerous.”

“No. It’s all of you that need to get away from him.” Levi was growing frustrated with his thick-headed team. None of them could ignore the grotesque musculature of Eren’s titan arm long enough to see the fear painted on his face. Eren was far from the most dangerous person in this situation. Levi hardened his voice. “Step back. Now.”

“But why?!”

“Intuition.” The word was out of his mouth before he could think about it.

It wasn’t enough for his squad. For the first time, his word wasn’t enough for them. They continued to demand explanations. They demanded that he not move and also that he show them proof of his good intentions. They screamed at him, their voices becoming even shriller, even more crazed. _Not good._

“Could you all just shut up for a moment, please?!”

_Oh. So he found his voice._

“EREN!!” Hanji stumbled up, pushing Gunther out of the way. “Can I touch that arm of yours?!? Can I?!! It’s okay, right?! I’ll just touch it and that’s all, I promise!!!”

“Hanji, wait a second—“

There was an audible sizzle as Hanji clapped both hands on the exposed bones and muscles of Eren’s Titan arm. She screeched and babbled, swinging her hands around to cool them.  “Isn’t it hot where you’re touching it? I’m dying to know!”

Levi turned to look at Eren and watched closely as he tried to pull himself free. It seemed that the Titan muscle fibers had completely encased his hand, binding to his skin. Eren grunted and tugged and finally ripped free of the Titan arm; he fell back, ass-over-tip, onto the ground behind him _. Good. Good work, Jaeger. They can see that you’re free of it now._

Hanji and the rest of the squad watched the Titan body begin to sublimate, Hanji moaning about all the opportunities she was missing. Levi turned and walked to Eren’s side.

“Captain…”

“How are you feeling?” Levi looked Eren over for obvious damage. He had turned pale, but his cheeks had a high color, as if he had a fever. He was drenched in sweat. _Extracting himself from the Titan is not easy to do, it seems._

Eren panted for air and swallowed hard before he replied. “N-not so good.”  He dropped his head down again, gasping.

“Petra, cold water. Now!” Levi barked.

Petra was at his side in moments with a large canteen. She’d even thought to bring a cup. Levi filled the cup with it and offered it to Eren. He took it gratefully, downing it in one long series of gulps. Levi offered him the canteen, but Eren waved it away weakly.

“Can’t…”

Levi pressed the back of his hand against Eren’s forehead. _He’s burning up!_ Levi loosened his cravat, drawing it from his neck with a silken hiss. He held it over Eren’s head and poured most of the contents of the canteen over it. Eren closed his eyes, shivering at the water running down his back. He offered the damp cloth to Eren, holding it against his flushed face. Eren pressed it against his face, his eyes fluttering closed.

Levi watched him like a hawk. “Better?”

“Better, Captain.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't know if we quite earned an explicit rating yet, but we will! WE CAN DO IT!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi offers Eren advice on trusting people and Eren asks to try turning into a Titan again.

“We’ll wait downstairs,” Levi said, waving the rest of his team into the mess hall. “Send someone when you’re ready.”

Mike and Petra lingered, watching Levi lead Eren down into the dungeons. They walked down the stairs. Eren hadn’t said much of anything in the past hour; he seemed focused on just putting one foot in front of the other. He followed dumbly along as they slowly descended into the bowels of the castle. He didn’t even pause when Levi turned right instead of left at the junction.

 _Rejection is hitting him pretty hard._ Levi shrugged out of his jacket, walking into his room, going after another cravat. It was one thing to be rejected by a lover—any man could get over that. It was another thing entirely to be rejected by people you thought of as friends.

Levi lifted a carefully rolled length of silk out of the top, letting it unfurl; he caught the small dowel it was wrapped around in his hand.  He turned to face the mirror, to find Eren standing dumbly in the doorway. _At least he had the sense to stop before he actually entered without permission._

“Care to come in, Jaeger?”  Levi asked sarcastically. He unbuckled the front clips of his chest harness and let it hang from his belt.

Eren blinked, finally registering where he really was. “C-captain!”  Eren averted his eyes, looking around Levi’s room, a touch of redness in his cheeks.

“Are you still feverish?”

“No.”

“You look flushed.”

“I’m fine.”  The blush spread and Levi picked up on it within moments. _Oh, I see. That is… interesting._  

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Levi said as he pulled his shirt collar together. “You’ll need to talk to them.”

“Y-yes, sir,” Eren mumbled.

Levi began winding the length of fabric around his neck, folding and crossing the single layer until it fluffed out prettily at his throat. He tugged at it until he was satisfied and then pulled his shoulder harness back up, clipping it back in place at the belt.

Eren was waiting by his cell when Levi rejoined him, pulling his jacket on. “I’m not going to put you in that box,” Levi said, fitting the collar of his jacket snugly against his neck.  

“You’re not?” Eren’s surprise was genuine.

“No.”  Levi leaned against the wall near the stairs, folding his arms in front of him.

Eren sat wearily down on the lowest of the steps that led down into the dungeon, folding his arms and leaning forward on his knees. He stared off into the middle distance for several minutes before he spoke.

“I… I know that I’m still alive only because I’m here…”  Eren seemed to shrink into himself. “I also know that I’m a potential enemy to humanity. It’s just…until the moment I experienced their open hostility I didn’t notice… that they don’t trust me.”

 “Of course they don’t. That’s why I chose them in the first place.”  Eren’s surprise was plain on his face and Levi winced inwardly at his naïveté.  _You really are just a rookie, brat._  

“You become a full-fledged soldier after returning alive from your first mission. That’s what most of the Corps thinks. But those guys have managed to live through hell not once, but countless times, and it bore its fruit: they’ve learned how to survive.”   _All of us did. We had to, after the Fall._

“When you’re up against Titans, there’s always a lack of information. No matter how thorough your planning is, lots of situations you can’t make heads or tails of will come up anyway. When that happens, your best chance is speed and ruthless action based on your prediction of the worst case scenario.” Levi surprised himself.  Mentoring wasn’t usually something he engaged in.

_But I want him to succeed._

_We covered the retreat at Shiganshina, we paid for tens of thousands of civilians with the blood of our finest soldiers. We traded our lives wholesale for farmers and merchants and peasants. And then, the king… he flung them back against the Titans in that disastrous attempt to take Wall Maria, only so their corpses would rot between Rose and Maria, so that we didn’t have to deal with the epidemic that would surely have followed the famine._

_We have paid double—triple—the blood price of survival._

_I need him to succeed._

Levi scuffed his boot against the floor, easing his weight from one foot to the other. “Still, it doesn’t mean they’ve turned into a heartless mob. It’s not like they didn’t feel anything when they raised their blades against you. But don’t expect them to regret it.”

***

By dinner, the team was easing back into communicating with each other. They struggled to keep the topics of conversation light: Mike mentioned that a cat and her kittens had been found in the hayloft on top of the stables and were now being cared for. Petra said that another supply wagon would be there in the next two days with provisions they’d requested yesterday. Auruo offered to go horseback riding with Gunther, Erd and Eren. The piecemeal niceties got them through the meal, but they didn’t linger for tea.

The mess hall emptied fairly fast as darkness descended on the castle; the fewer candles and gallons of lamp oil they burned, the better off they, and the kingdom, were. There were few, if any places where this ethic of sacrifice did not permeate everyday life. _Save your gas, save your blades, and you might save your lives._

Levi stayed seated as the rest of his team drifted away, resting the fingers of his right hand in the saucer, sliding them along the inside rim. He traced the same arc several times before picking up the cup and drinking from it. Eren stayed with him, quiet, his hands folded in his lap. 

Finally, Levi picked up his cup to drink, and found nothing but dregs.  He set the cup down and then stood slowly.

“Let’s go.”

Eren stood and they walked down to the dungeons, Eren following obediently.

“Actually, Captain?”

“Yes?”

“I don’t… think I can sleep.”

“And what would you like me to do about that?”

Eren was glad that Levi was walking in front of him, so that the blush he knew was creeping up his neck would be missed. “A-actually, I’ve noticed that you sit outside my room at night, so you don’t sleep either…”

Levi stopped, turning to look at Eren. “Again, brat, what the fuck would you like me to do about that?”

“Couldn’t I read for a while? Or write a letter?”

Levi lifted an eyebrow.  “No one is supposed to know where you are.”  He turned and began walking again. “Do you own a book?”

“No.”

“Of course not.” Levi turned the corner towards his room. “So I’m supposed to loan you one of mine, is that it?”

“Yes, sir…”

Levi opened his room and disappeared inside for a moment. Eren waited and Levi returned momentarily with a small red-covered volume and a candle. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t take it out of these rooms, please.”

Eren took them gratefully and couldn’t suppress an enthusiastic “Yes sir!”

Levi rolled his eyes and walked down the hall to Eren’s cell, unlocking it and leaving the door open.  Eren walked in and set the candle down on his trunk before sitting down on the bed and opening the book. The leather cover creaked, and the smell of old paper was pleasant. It reminded him of the forbidden books Armin had shown him as a child. He carefully turned the pages, discovering that this book was a collection of folklore. The stories were all familiar to him, from Catskin to the Six Swans. It wasn’t something that he’d really expect Levi to have, but many books were so rare that people purchased whatever was available.

Levi seated himself in his chair out in the hall, a book on his lap. He had a pen and wrote in it silently. The scratching of his pen and the occasional sound of turning pages made restful noise. It was a pleasant way to pass the time and soon he found his eyelids getting heavy. Eren blew out the candle and carefully stored the book in his trunk before stripping down and sliding under the covers.

“Captain?”

“Yes?”

“My… transformation today…”

“What about it?”

“I did it accidentally. I can’t control it.”

Levi’s pen stopped moving. “You said as much upstairs.” He turned in his chair. “Was there something else you wanted to add?”

“If I can’t control being a Titan, then…” Eren hesitated before continuing,”… doesn’t that mean I’ve violated the probation the court set for me?”  

Levi sighed and closed his book, standing. “Jaeger, I have already told you that I am going to be the one to kill you if you lose control.” He came in the cell and took out the shackle keys. “No one else.”

“Again, that’s not exactly comforting.”

“It’s not intended to be comforting.”

“Can we try again tomorrow?”

Levi frowned as he sat down on the bed next to Eren, one of the shackles in his hand. “You don’t know if you can control it. We have even less reason to believe that after today, actually.” He clipped the first shackle around Eren’s hand.

“But if we don’t try it again, how will I ever learn to control it? How can I ever be useful as a Titan?”

Levi reached across Eren, pulling up the other shackle and closing it around Eren’s wrist. “You could be asking to be put to death tomorrow.”

Eren jerked one chained hand until the chain was taut. “Until I can control it, I don’t have my freedom. Until I can control it, I am not a member of your squad, I’m just an animal you look after in a cage,” he said bitterly. “And we might as well get it over with.”  

“You trust me to kill you, but you also trust me to save you.”

“I don’t have a choice.”  Eren looked up, meeting Levi’s eyes steadily and didn’t look away, even when color crept stealthily into his cheeks.  The last time he’d looked into Levi’s eyes this long had been during the dream when he’d—

“What’s with that intense look, Eren?”

_Eren._

The drone of his voice, the soft susurrus of his breath, the intimacy of his name made Eren’s toes curl. He swallowed hard against the lump that suddenly rose in his throat. Eren’s eyes flicked down to Levi’s lips, only for an instant, only to blink. When Eren looked back up, Levi’s pale eyes had darkened. He saw Levi’s eyes glance down for the briefest moment and then return to meet his. Eren thought his heartbeat must be audible, as wildly as it thudded in his chest. Levi gathered the blankets in one fist, close to Eren’s shackled hand. Barely able to trust himself with breathing, Eren slid his hand towards his captain’s. Levi’s eyes followed his fingers, but Eren didn’t look away from his face, taking in the way his lips had parted, how his tongue flicked out to moisten them. But when Eren’s fingers touched his, Levi snatched his hand away as if scalded.

“I should go.” His voice was raspy.

“Y-yeah,” Eren said; his throat was as dry as Levi’s.  “Good night, Captain,” he managed.

But Levi locked the cell, picked up his lamp and book, and left without another word.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Eren's request to find a way to control his Titan form, Levi hits on the best motivation for him: the trust of his team.

“He asked to try again?”

“Yes.” Levi sipped his morning coffee. “Is it advisable?”

Hanji stared off into the middle distance. “I’ve thought about it and there are several barriers to a successful test of Eren’s abilities.” She picked up her coffee cup. “The first is getting him to a full manifestation of his power.” She drank from the cup and set it down. “The second is retrieving him from the fully empowered Titan form.”

Levi fiddled with the saucer under his coffee cup.   _The hand had been large, but not the size of a fifteen-meter class Titan. Still—_ “I don’t think the full manifestation of his power is a great obstacle.”

Hanji nodded. “I agree. I have been thinking about his transformations and reading the depositions of the soldiers who saw his Titan form.” She leaned forward onto the table, the strange light of fervor in her eyes.

Levi narrowed his eyes. “Go on.”

“For example, when he needed to carry the boulder, he created a full manifestation.” She wrinkled her brow. “But when he needed to protect his friends from a cannon shell, he only created a torso. And yesterday—“

“The arm, holding the spoon.”

Hanji nodded. “Generally speaking, his will informs the transformation. He seems to only transform for the goal he sets for himself.” She sipped her coffee. “I have no doubt that he can produce a transformation suitable for any task we can give him.”

“The challenge is motivating his will.”   _We just have to find a way to motivate him._

Hanji smiled brightly at Levi. “Say, Captain, you’re really good at figuring this stuff out. Are you sure you wouldn’t like to help with some experiments on Eren?”

To Hanji’s surprise, he didn’t immediately reject her offer. “Can we take him out again today?”

“Well that gets back to the other part of using his power: getting him out of the Titan when the job is done.” Hanji stroked her chin thoughtfully. “I am still trying to figure out how the Titan shifter abilities interact with his human body. Why didn’t his bites yesterday heal immediately?”

“They were completely healed after he made the Titan arm.“

“Yes, you noticed that too?” Hange laced her fingers together, pressing her lips to her steepled hands. “I still can’t figure him out.”

Levi pursed his lips and then finished the last of his tea. “It’s less important than getting his transformation stabilized. We can’t use him until—“ and Levi stopped mid-sentence, seeing at the other end of the mess hall exactly the kind of thing that would motivate Eren.

***

Gunther scratched the back of his head, looking around at the rest of the team with an unsure expression. “I can’t speak for everyone else, but this seems really…”

“Dangerous?” Auruo spat. “The worst idea I’ve ever heard?” He looked at Levi suspiciously. “Did Hanji put you up to this?”

“Firstly, it wouldn’t matter if she had, because she is the foremost mind in Titan science,” Levi said coldly. “And secondly, she didn’t.”

“It’s really… I don’t like you putting yourself in danger like that, Captain!”

“I agree with Petra, Captain.” Erd said. “It’s too unreliable. Even if we are ready for a Titan if one comes out, he could kill us.” He rubbed his jaw with his hand. “Or worse, we could kill him.”

“How is that worse?!”

“You think the brass would lose their ace in the hole so easily? How long would it take to put him down without killing him, Auruo? Hours? Days?” Erd retorted.

“Leave that to me.” Levi said, leaning over the table, his fingers wrapped around the edges. He leveled an appraising glare at each of them. “If you can trust him, this will work.”

“Do you trust him, Captain?”  Mike spoke for the first time.

 _Do I trust Eren?_ Levi thought back to the night before, to the electric way Eren’s touch had lit up his nerves and the way he wished he had pinned him down against that uncomfortable mattress and stolen his breath.

But more than that, he thought of the loneliness in Eren’s voice, the way he had pulled against the chains that bound him up in the dungeon and asked for freedom. _All he wants is to belong somewhere. Here, with us._ Levi looked around the table at his squad. _With this family._ Levi leaned back up, dragging his fingertips over the table. “Yes. Yes, I trust him.”

“Tch,” Auruo said, an uneasy look on his face. “I don’t trust him. However,” he continued, standing up from his chair, “I am willing to try it.  If you think it can help.”

Petra pursed her lips and then stood, putting her hands on the table next to Auruo’s. “Me too.” Auruo’s scowl softened as she looked at him and nodded.  Levi turned his eyes expectantly on the other members of the team. Mike nodded slowly at him, and then Gunther and Erd traded glances and sighed.

“Ah, I’m so glad to hear that all of you will do this!” Hanji said, clapping her hands together. “We should hurry if we’re going to make use of the daylight.” She stood and walked out of the room, prattling excitedly. The rest of the squad began filing out, and though they were quiet, Levi couldn’t miss the undercurrent of unease. _I really, really hope you can control that thing, you brat._

***

The plan was the same, with a small change; instead of leaving Eren alone down in the well, Levi would encourage his transformation from the top, one cable of his 3-D maneuver gear anchored in the timbers of the nearby cottage.  Once transformed, if he could control the Titan, Eren would climb out and then sit and wait for orders. Hanji’s words rang in Eren’s ears: “We won’t have any way to communicate with you once you’re transformed, so you must follow the plan!”

 _The plan._ Eren looked up at the sky, bright blue without a cloud in sight. It would be a beautiful day to die if it didn’t work.

“Oi, Eren.”

 _He said my name again._ Eren felt heat and tension gather in his muscles and stretched instinctively to relieve the feeling. Levi leaned over the edge of the well. “They’re all in position,” he said. “Try it whenever you’re ready.”

Eren looked doubtfully down at his hands, at the unbroken skin of his thumb. _What if it doesn’t work? What if I can’t do it again?_

“I’m sure that four-eyes will be yelling at you the entire time, but try not to stomp on her. She’s quite valuable.” 

“Was that a _joke_?” _From Levi?_

“Well...” Levi’s face was almost smug. _I guess I’m getting used to his humor._

 “Hey, Eren,” Levi called from above. “It will hurt when I cut you out of the Titan, won’t it?” His face was an inexpressive mask, his voice as flat as ever. “Sorry about that. In advance.”

Eren blinked and then looked down at his hand. “I guess…”  He flexed his fingers and then looked back up at Levi. _Is he… afraid of hurting me?_

“If you do this, Eren—“Levi paused. “I won’t chain you up tonight.”

 _No more chains._ He looked at his hand _. Freedom._

Eren didn’t even check to see if Levi had gotten clear before he bit down.


	8. Chapter 8

The explosion ripped through the earth, shattering the stones that lined the well and sending up a haze of steam and dust. Shielding his eyes from the grit, Levi saw splinters of hot yellow light knit together the billowing reek and the sky. The stink of ozone and Titan hit him like a wall, and the roar that split the heavens deafened him like thunder directly overhead.

“Captain!”

Petra’s scream rent the air, too late. Eren’s head darted through the fog and his flat teeth closed around the edge of Levi’s cape. Eren tossed his head back, jaws slightly open, and Levi slid into the gaping maw.  The teeth closed around him until Levi could feel his soft insides begin to yield under the pressure.

“JAEGER!” yelled Levi, apoplectic, and the pressure on his chest and stomach eased. Rage shook Levi. _How dare he pick me up with his rancid Titan mouth!? How dare he touch me when I expressly forbade him??_

He could see Eren’s eyes, green and luminous, rolling slightly in their sockets. He reached for his blades, wishing he had drawn them before Eren transformed. The teeth had one arm pinned, but if he could just reach the other one… _Sorry for this, Eren, but I am going to stab the shit out of you._

Levi heard 3-D maneuver gear cables fire and saw Auruo on one side of Eren’s head, his blades drawn and teeth gritted. The jaws began to tighten around him again.

 “EREN!!!” Levi screamed.

From his vantage point, Levi saw the moment Eren gained control. A third eyelid swept across unfocused, lamp-like orbs and swept back, revealing eyes sharp with intelligence. An anguished noise howled past Levi as the jaws opened and Eren’s long tongue pushed Levi out. Levi hit the ground and rolled to his feet, covered in saliva and dirt. _I’m going to kill this fucking kid._

Eren’s head fell back and he cried out again, ululating, his strange Titan voice echoing off the trees. Levi fired a cable into Eren’s shoulder and pulled himself up, steadying himself by holding on to Eren’s hair. From here, he could see that the Titan’s arms were pinned inside the well.

“Jaeger, I’m going to beat the shit out of you if you don’t stop making all that fucking noise,” he said into Eren’s ear. And Eren stopped baying. “Thank God,” he heard Auruo grumble from the other side of Eren’s head.

“Captain, are you okay??” Petra was beside herself with panic.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Levi pressed a hand to his ribcage and abdomen, pressing into his flesh to feel for bruising. “No thanks to this shitty brat,” Levi said, kicking Eren in the neck with the flat of his boot.  Eren emitted a low, geckering whine.

“That’s the most pitiful noise I’ve ever heard, Jaeger,” Levi said. “I’ve heard puppies being drowned that made less pitiful noises than that.” 

Levi smoothed his hand along Eren’s knife-like ear. _He’s so warm._ Using Eren’s hair as a guide rope, he swung around behind Eren’s head and anchored himself with one cable in Eren’s shoulder.  He fired another cable into Eren’s back, and Eren didn’t even flinch.

“Hey, Eren,” he said, as Auruo moved to the same position opposite him. “We’re going to begin cutting now.” 

The first chunk of flesh he cut out began healing immediately; Levi kicked it off Eren’s back while Auruo kept the wound open. Even though Eren shrieked, Levi’s blade did not waver. Another precise, deep cut and he could see Eren’s head. The wound began closing faster and Levi sawed away at the meat. Eren growled and snorted, great clouds of his hot breath pouring out of his mouth, shifting under Levi’s feet with every slice of the blades. Finally, he was able to get his hands under Eren’s arms and strained to lift him up out of the Titan’s body. “Auruo, cut—there!” 

Auruo cleanly cut Eren away, severing the web of fibrous tissues that connected Eren to the Titan. Levi pulled him free with a wet, sickening crack and the Titan body began to sublimate. Eren’s eyes were closed, his face red and pockmarked where the fibers had connected him. Levi hefted Eren up over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry and eased down the Titan’s shoulders to the edge of the well. 

“Levi!” Hanji called as she ran up. “Are you okay??” And then that fervor lit up her eyes. “How did it feel being in his mouth? What did the teeth feel like?” Levi coughed to cover up the sound of protest that escaped him. _No one else but you was thinking about that kind of being in his mouth, you idiot._

“Just… make sure he’s okay.” Levi stepped away, rubbing the back of his neck and sighing while Hanji took his vitals. _So much happened all at once._ Levi preferred not to dwell on the sensation of being surrounded by a Titan’s mouth. It hadn’t been his first, but he had really wanted that one other time to be his last. Eren had realized his error and released him, not a moment too soon.

“Captain, he’s coming around!” Hanji said excitedly.

“Try to give him some space, Hanji.”

Eren’s eyes opened weakly. “Captain…”

“Yes?”

“Sorry… about the bite.” A small smile flirted around his lips.

“Not yet, you’re not,” Levi snarled. He was caked in Titan spit and filth. _I’m going to KILL him._

***

“I think that’s all, Eren,” Hanji said, looking over the production from the pantograph. “Now I have a copy for the records and for my own notes.” Hanji couldn’t hide her excitement. The discovery of the copying machine in the tower during the initial cleanup of the castle had prompted Hanji to declare the room at the top of the turret her office rather than risk moving the delicately tuned device.  “Thank you very much for your input!” Her eyes gleamed and she clutched the copy to her chest.

Eren smiled at Hanji. “Glad someone was able to get some use out of that.” He glanced over at Levi, who had a half-scowl on his face. It was well past nightfall, but Hanji had begged to be able to record Eren’s memory of being in the Titan before they slept.  As soon as Hanji thanked Eren, Levi was on his feet.

“Come on, brat,” he said irritably, grabbing Eren’s arm and shoving him towards the door. “Don’t stay up too late,” he threw over his shoulder at Hanji. Hanji just smiled and waved.

The staircase wound down around the outside of the tower. Eren had his hand on the outside wall, walking down the broadest part of the steps. He could feel Levi’s eyes on him, watching him. “Sorry about this,” Eren mumbled.

“About what?” Levi said, stifling a yawn. “Oh, the nerd?” He waved it away. “I expected it. She always has to know your deepest motivations for becoming a Titan,” he said sourly.

“Do you think what I did today was a success?”

Levi paused on the steps. “Why are you asking?”

 _Because I want your approval. The chains being removed will be wonderful, but more than that I want to have you look at me with favor._ “No reason.”

“Well…” Levi said, his brow creasing. “Aside from nearly killing me, I’d say it was a large step in the right direction.”

“S-sorry about that.”

“If you can’t take any fucking jokes, I’ll stop making them, Jaeger.” _He’s so short-tempered tonight._  “I noticed that you didn’t explain to Hanji exactly what got you back in control of the Titan.”

“No.” Before Eren had gotten control of the Titan, it was a red fog of agony, blood, desire. He felt the desire to eat and eat, to crush bones between his jaws and gnash his teeth terribly. He seemed to go on forever, and his yearning to consume was endless.

“So what was it?”

Eren frowned. There had been a clarion call, something that dissipated the red fog and he’d seized control, digging his heels into the Titan. “It was your voice, Captain.”  Eren turned to face him but couldn’t bring himself to look directly at Levi’s face. “W-when you said my name.”

 _Oh God, I’m blushing, I can feel how red I’m getting, please don’t look at me—_ but Levi didn’t say anything. Eren exhaled a shuddery breath that couldn’t draw out the sudden warmth that flooded all of his limbs, focusing on Levi’s boots. “Captain, I need to ask you something…”

“Can’t it wait until morning, you fucking—“

“Are you seeing anyone?”

 _There, it’s out. God, it’s out and I can’t take it back now._ Silence yawned between them and then Levi set down the lamp on the stairs. The sound of metal touching stone was like a rifle going off. _Why doesn’t he say anything? Why is he so quiet? Can I risk looking at him? It’s going to be bad, oh I knew it! I’m such a fucking moron!_

“Eren Jaeger, are you… propositioning a senior officer?” Levi’s voice was deadly quiet.

 _Oh God, it’s so much worse than bad._ “NO! No...Of course not. ”

Levi lifted one eyebrow and then leaned over to pick up the lamp.

Eren licked his lips and swallowed against the lump in his throat. “But, if I had been…”

“What?” Levi snapped.

“…what would be your response?” Eren looked up, finally looking at Levi’s face.

Levi straightened, leaving the lamp on the floor, and stepped down until his eyes were level with Eren’s. He was only inches away and Eren tried his best to meet Levi’s eyes, to scrutinize him as he was being scrutinized, but Eren was, honestly, bad at it. He kept running out of breath and having to look away from Levi’s face.

“You’re uncomfortable.” Levi’s voice was hoarse.

Eren nodded.

“Why?”  Levi’s eyes appraised him, unashamedly looking over his face and Eren blushed again.

“Because you keep looking at me like that.”

“Like what?” Levi’s cool gaze pinioned him and Eren felt as though he was going to melt under the intensity. “Isn’t this what you asked for?”

When Eren turned his head away, Levi reached up and captured Eren’s chin with his slender fingers. Eren closed his eyes as Levi forcefully turned his face back.

“No, Eren. You don’t get to look away.” A chill ran through Eren’s body; he felt if he was going to be touched, he’d explode, but Levi held him firmly, looking into him, through him. “Look at me.” And when Eren kept his eyes closed, Levi repeated himself. “Look at me, Eren. Now.”

Eren found that looking at Levi was simultaneously the most painful and delicious sensation he could imagine. That direct gaze went against all common decency; it stripped Eren bare and coolly assessed his contents. It made Eren feel vulnerable and exposed and he couldn’t look away, but he couldn’t maintain eye contact.

“Eren.” Levi’s eyes dropped to his mouth. “Ask me again.”

“Captain, are you—“ was all Eren could manage before Levi silenced him with a chaste kiss; Levi’s lips were cool and dry. His eyes were lowered and his breath stirred Eren’s hair. Levi’s fingers left his chin, sliding along his jawline to his temple, then the shell of his ear, then the back of his skull, leaving Eren’s skin tingling in their wake.

“Not Captain.”

“Levi—“ Eren began, his voice suddenly lost under the slant of Levi’s mouth, his lips opening like a wound to Levi’s tongue. Levi kissed him thoroughly, catching at Eren’s lips with his own, his breathing harsh. His hands framed Eren’s head, tilting and pulling him into the bruising, hungry kisses. Just when Eren thought he might have had enough, Levi kissed him again, seeming to have found the idea of stopping too much to bear.

“We need to get downstairs,” Levi murmured against his lips.

Eren couldn’t agree more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it took a long time to get here, but I hope it was worth the wait! 
> 
> As a side note, would tracking a tag on tumblr for this fic be helpful to anyone? Should I track a tag?


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Eren find the terms of a relationship agreeable.

_I must be out of my mind._   Levi’s hand tightened around the lamp’s brass handle.

_He’s too young. He’s probably a virgin. He’s my subordinate. He’s a fucking Titan and tried to kill me. There are all kinds of reasons why this is a singularly bad idea._

Levi opened the door to the dungeon and started down the steps. He distantly registered the click of the latch as it closed.

 _And yet… I didn’t imagine the way he blushed when he looked at me, not even just tonight. I didn’t imagine the way he propositioned me. I didn’t imagine the way he trusts me to lock him up every night. I certainly didn’t imagine that kiss. I didn’t imagine… he could ever want anything else from me, other than his life._ Levi couldn’t help a small snort of frustration. _Greedy, isn’t he?_

Eren was quiet, trailing along behind him as they descended down into the dungeon. Levi paused at the junction. To the left, Eren’s cell. To the right, his bedroom.

“Not that way, Eren,” he heard himself saying, as Eren turned to walk towards his cell. “We… need to talk.”

Eren followed Levi into his bedroom, looking around as one might look for a wild animal. Levi set the lamp down and then lit the larger oil lamp on his desk.

“I’ll begin by saying that this is… highly unorthodox for me, Eren.” Unorthodox was an understatement. Forming lasting relationships in the Survey Corps was just asking for a life of perpetual heartbreak. “Go ahead and sit down.”

Levi sat down in his desk chair heavily; Eren perched on the edge of the bed, looking around uneasily. _Might as well get this started. The sooner the difficult questions have been asked and answered, the sooner I know how bad of an idea this is._

“Eren, I have some questions for you before we… well,” Levi said, trailing off.

“Before we have sex?”

Levi tried to ignore the way his skin prickled at the suggestion. “Before we enter into a relationship of any kind, sexual or not,” Levi retorted. Eren looked at him and Levi noted the attractive blush in his cheeks. _Bold, but innocent. Well, enthusiasm could make up for a lot of shortcomings._

“First things first. Are you a virgin?” Levi absentmindedly unbuckled his chest harness and then unclipped it from his belt, loosening his cravat and crossing his legs.

“Yes.” Eren replied, a little quickly. “Is that a problem?”

“Not on its own, but…” Levi sighed. “I’m much older than you and I’m reluctant to take on—“

“I’m not a charity case.”

Levi lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t recall saying you were. But you will require some training and that takes time and effort.”

“Levi, I’m not…” Eren hesitated and Levi regarded him coolly. _He has to show that he’s willing to make some kind of investment in this,_ he thought, and it surprised him, the way he wanted there to be an investment in them. _In me._

“Let me ask you this, Eren.” Levi uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “What do you want from me?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, what do you want to do? Where do you want this to go? Do you want a lasting relationship? Or should we just fuck tonight and then go on about our lives?” Levi wasn’t really into casual encounters, but they had happened before. It was one of the… things that came along with being Humanity’s Strongest Soldier. Levi hesitated to call it a perk, because it was usually an annoyance.

What Levi wasn’t sure about was whether he wanted to just fuck Eren once. _Well, that will depend on how good he is, and virgins are never amazing._ Although,in some ways, the fact that Eren was a virgin was even more attractive than having an experienced partner. He wouldn’t have any bizarre habits from previous lovers, and any insecurity he felt about pleasure could be easily expunged with some careful lovemaking. In truth, Levi wanted to spend hours teaching Eren how to please him.

“I… hadn’t really thought that far ahead.”

_Fuck._

“So you thought you’d just start something you had no idea how to finish, huh?” Levi couldn’t really hide the irritation in his voice.  

“I’m completely new at this, okay??” _There’s that attractive blush again._

_Wait a second. Completely new at this?_

“Eren, are you telling me that was your first kiss?”

At Eren’s sheepish nod, Levi covered his face in his hands. _What the fuck have I stumbled into?_

“Okay, Eren. If this is going to work—for any kind of relationship at all—we need some ground rules.”

Eren nodded solemnly. “What are they?”

“First, you must continue to address me as your superior officer when we are not in private. This means that you obey my orders without questioning me and you show me the kind of deference you would show Commander Smith.”

Eren nodded again.

“Secondly, you must tell me the moment I do anything that makes you uncomfortable.” Levi stood and walked the few feet to the bed, sitting down next to Eren.  “Are you okay with that?”

“Yes.”

Levi leaned in to kiss Eren’s temple, pressing his nose into Eren’s hair. “If we need any other rules, we’ll make them up as we go along.”

“As we go along?” Eren pulled away a bit and smiled. “Does that mean just one night isn’t enough?”

Levi smirked, pulling Eren in for a kiss. “Don’t flatter yourself, brat.”

Their embrace was lazy, ill-practiced, and Eren had all the restraint and coordination of an enthusiastic puppy. But he took direction well and smiled at Levi’s delight, murmured into the skin of his neck, the shell of his ear, the flash of his pulse in his throat. Levi nibbled at his neck, pulling aside the collar of his shirt to bite and kiss down his shoulder, smiling broadly at the small shiver and cry Eren gave.

“This harness has to go,” he mumbled between kisses, fiddling with the buckle on Eren’s chest and then the buckle on his belt and then finally Levi swore and stood up, tugging at the straps in frustration. Eren kicked off his boots hurriedly, leaving them in a pile on the floor, and stripped his harness in record time. The leather culet and then Eren’s shirt dropped to the floor and Levi felt heat pool in the pit of his stomach. He fumbled with the buttons of his own shirt, having barely gotten his boots and harness off. It had been so long since he’d had to undress on any kind of clock, under anyone else’s watch.

“Here,” Eren said, moving closer, reaching out to help with the buttons. Levi switched to his pants, shrugging off the shirt as Eren pulled his shirt open and slid his hands around Levi’s waist. Levi froze; the first touch was like an electric shock, and goose bumps rose all over Levi’s body.  Eren smiled against Levi’s lips and lightened his touch, a small chuckle pouring from his mouth at Levi’s shudder.

“You’re sensitive,” Eren whispered.

“Can’t be helped, “ Levi muttered. “It’s been… a long time.” _God, it has been… years since anyone has touched me like this._

“I’ll try not to disappoint you,” Eren hummed into Levi’s ear.

Levi slid his hand down to fondle Eren’s crotch. _He’s already so hard._ “It… doesn’t seem like that will be an issue,” Levi replied.  “Take these off.”  He could barely get his own pants off fast enough.

Eren fell back on the bed, pulling off his pants and underwear in one shove, his erection slapping against his stomach as it sprang free. He kicked them off the side of the bed and Levi fell upon him, kissing across his shoulders and chest, relishing the way Eren’s arms fell around him and his hands curled against his back.

Levi’s fingers danced down Eren’s torso, closing around Eren’s cock and giving an experimental tug. A grin softened Levi’s face as Eren gasped and arched up into his hand. “Eren, show me what you like,” he whispered.

Their hands touched as Eren reached down to his dick, but Levi withdrew his hand, letting Eren take the lead in demonstrating what he found pleasurable. Levi was not idle, by any means, sucking Eren’s nipples and stroking his hips, watching the way he worked himself over. When Levi covered Eren’s hand with his own, he couldn’t suppress a moan of delight at the way Eren whimpered and pushed his hips up into Levi’s touch. The head of his cock already glistened with precome _._

 _He’s getting close faster than I’d thought. Virgins._   Levi watched Eren sigh into the fold of his arm. _But he’s beautiful when he does that._

Eren’s hand fell away and he gathered the sheets into his fist as Levi tightened his grip around Eren’s dick. “Levi…”   _And when he does that._

He draped one arm over his eyes, his hips thrusting up into Levi’s hand. “Levi, that’s… oh my _God_ —”

_And that._

“I’m…. I can’t… last long when you’re doing that.” Every word was punctuated with a pant or gasp for breath.

Levi slid down the bed, pulling Eren’s legs apart and crouching between them, supporting himself on one hand. Moistening his lips, Levi fit his mouth over the purpling head and bobbed down, swirling his tongue around the ridge of Eren’s glans and pulling down on his shaft. Eren’s hips jerked irregularly, once, twice and then his head pressed back into the pillow, his hand clenching on the mattress. Levi swallowed Eren’s come, making a face at the bitter taste. _Better that than make a mess in the sheets._

Levi crawled up next to his lover, kissing the forearm draped over his face. Eren was still, his chest still rising and falling fast. “Levi….what about you?”

“Don’t worry about me. Sleep.”

Eren uncovered his eyes, turning them on Levi. “But you—“

“Don’t fucking argue with me.” Levi dropped a kiss on Eren’s cheek. _Call it a gift._

Eren searched Levi’s face before his eyelids grew too heavy. He was asleep within minutes. Levi kept vigil for him late into the night, his pale skin licked by lamplight, watching the restful face of a Titan shifter slumbering in his bed. Levi smiled in spite of himself.

_What on Earth have I done?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a side note, since I could not find any information on the correct terminology for the brown wrap/skirt that is worn around the hips, I looked at how the wrap functions in the uniform. Since the function of the wrap appears to be to protect a soldier from potential 3D Maneuver Gear malfunctions (cable burn, etc.) and wear and tear, I have used the word "culet" here. (The purpose of a culet was to protect the hips and waist from blows from an adversary. A simple leather culet would fulfill the function of protecting the user from the 3DMG.)


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Eren have their first "morning after" and Erwin and Levi discuss the expedition beyond the walls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've started tracking a tag on tumblr: please use the tag #fic: fumarole to discuss this fic. Also, don't be afraid to come in my ask box if you'd like to chat :D
> 
> tumblr: tigerine.tumblr.com  
> tracked tag: #fic: fumarole, #tigerine

Eren sat bolt upright in bed, still half-asleep.  The split second of disorientation and confusion resolved itself into answers. _Where am I? In bed, but not my bed. No, I slept with the Captain last night. I stayed in his bed? He didn’t move me to my cell? Looks like it._

And Eren sagged back down into the comfortable bed, pulling the covers back over him. Levi had managed to claim the majority of the single pillow during the night, and he lifted his head as Eren laid back down.

“Are you awake already?” Levi somehow managed to sound both irritated and disappointed at the same time.

“Hnn…” _I am definitely not._

“Good.”

Eren felt Levi slide closer, pulling Eren into him by the waist, and then Levi’s lips on his shoulder, pressing a kiss against his skin.

The next time Eren woke, Levi was already up, with the lamps lit.

“Good morning.”

“Morning.”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Mostly.” Eren sat up in bed, rubbing his face.

“Good.” Levi began brushing his teeth at the nightstand and Eren slid out of bed, looking through the pile of discarded clothes they’d left by the bed and picking his shirt and pants out. 

“So, I guess I should start calling you Captain again,” Eren said as he watched Levi move around the room. _What a strange place and way to say that._

“Yes. You should.” Levi bent over the nightstand, brushing his teeth, still naked, and Eren found himself really enjoying watching Levi move. He hadn’t really noticed—no, appreciated—how incredibly toned Levi was, probably because the uniform hid most of it. _I didn’t get to spend much time looking at him last night._

Levi had the same kind of wear patterns that all the soldiers did, but they were much more pronounced than any Eren had seen in the Trainee barracks. His pale skin was crossed with dark red marks in the pattern of the maneuver gear harness, the skin hairless and shiny, like a scar. He had other scars as well, white even against his skin, and the fact that Eren could see them from several feet away made him frown.

“Something wrong?” Levi said, putting down his toothbrush. “Don’t like the view?”

“You have a lot of scars.”

Levi looked down at his body briefly and then nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

“Are they all from… being in the Corps?” Eren didn’t really want to bring up the time Levi had spent in the criminal underworld, but at the same time, it looked like the underworld had taken its pound of flesh.

“Ah, Petra told you about my seedy past, did she?”

Eren blinked and then looked at the ground. _It’s like he can read minds sometimes._  “Yeah, she did.”

“I suppose it only adds to my mysterious feel,” Levi said matter-of-factly, washing his hands. “Chicks dig scars.”

Eren found himself blushing. _Well of course chicks would dig scars. Of course he’s been with women and probably other men too. Of course they’ve seen him like this. You’re nothing special._

Levi dried his hands and spread the towel out to dry and then turned to look at Eren. “Most of them are from the Corps.  Some of them are not.” He walked over to his jacket, slung around the chair in front of his desk, and fished around in the pocket.

“Here,” he said, tossing Eren the keys to his cell. “Go get cleaned up. Breakfast in twenty minutes. And I want those back,” he said.

“Yes, sir!”

***

Erwin Smith’s voice responded nearly instantly to Levi’s knock. “Come.”

Levi opened the door and entered, shutting it behind him. The commander was seated behind his desk, lit from behind by the morning sun through the large windows in his office.

 “Levi, good to see you.” Erwin moved aside his requisitions forms, looking down at the large scale schematic of the long-range formation.

“Erwin,” Levi acknowledged. “Must be nice getting all this sunlight.”

“Ah, sorry about that.” Erwin looked mildly apologetic. “I know the basement is a hard thing to ask of you, but the brass insisted that you be close to him.”

“It’s not all bad.”

Erwin lifted an eyebrow but Levi didn’t elaborate further. _He knows me well enough to guess what that might mean, but I don’t need to confirm it for him just yet._

“I assume you’re here to look at the plans with me.”

“Yeah. The new recruits should be arriving today, so I figured you’d want to discuss them.“ Levi walked over behind Erwin’s desk, leaning over and looking at the plans. Erwin’s copy contained small, neatly-written notes near every group. Levi smiled inwardly at the handwriting. _He’s still using that old cipher._ “Are you still going to go forward with that plan?”

Erwin looked down at the battle plans. “Yes.” He folded his hands together, lacing his fingers. “I know you don’t agree with it—”

“Fucking right I don’t agree with it.” Levi hopped up on the desk facing Erwin, leaning over and grabbing a pen. Using it as a stylus, he drew sweeping troop movements over the plans.  “Putting all the new recruits on the right flank is tantamount to murder, Erwin.”

Erwin chuckled darkly. “Why not tell me how you really feel about it, Levi?” At Levi’s black look, he gestured at the battle plans. “Seriously, I want to hear your thoughts.”

“Not only will they face the greatest exposure in Titan territory, they won’t be expecting an attack from within.”

“No, they won’t.” Erwin leaned back in his chair, tucking his hands behind his head, his eyes intent on Levi.

“Whoever the traitors are, they’re going to have to cut their way through our troops to get to Eren.”  Levi scowled. “It almost looks like you’re trying to get everyone killed, putting Eren here and the new recruits on the right flank,” he muttered, dropping the pen on the desk. It rolled to a stop between Erwin’s hands.

“‘Never was anything great achieved without danger,’” Erwin quoted.

“Not to mention the actual danger to Eren himself,” Levi continued.

“Oh? Hanji was telling me that his second transformation was largely a success.”

“He shouldn’t use his Titan power unless his life is in danger,” Levi said. “He nearly bit me in half.” It was tough for Levi to admit, but Eren’s Titan powers were still too unpredictable to be of any use to them in a military mission.

“Really.” Erwin glanced at a stack of handwritten notes on the corner of his desk; Levi recognized the spidery script of his squad leader.   _So he hasn’t read Hanji’s actual report yet._ Sometimes the Commander wasn’t good at hiding his tells in private company.

“Yeah, I’m not a huge fan of being in a Titan’s mouth.”  Levi hopped off the desk. “Too many teeth.”

Erwin sighed. “That’s a pity. I’d hoped to be able to use him if things became difficult.” Erwin sat forward in his chair again, resting his elbows on his desk. His flinty eyes seemed to be gazing off into space. _Erwin always gets that far-off look when he’s planning out men’s lives._

“It’s logical to assume that one or more of the new recruits is aware of Eren’s identity. They’re probably also responsible for the deaths of the Titan specimens.  If this draws them out like I hope it will, keeping them confined in one area means we know where the attack will come from.” Erwin swept out the space between his lip and gums with his tongue. Levi knew that tell as well: he was digging his heels in. _God, he has so many tells it’s embarrassing._

“That’s the difference between you and me, Erwin.” Levi walked to the other side of the desk. “I can’t just throw the lives of my men away.”

“You say that like I don’t care about the lives lost. You know I do.”

“I know.”  Levi leaned on the desk, looking at the schematic. “It just seems so wasteful.”

“With any luck, it won’t be.”

Levi straightened, stepping away from the desk. “If that’s all…?” _Because there’s really nothing more I can say that you’ll hear, Erwin. You have a great instinct, both for strategy and for battle, and nothing I offer now is going to make any change in your plans._

“Yes,” Erwin said. “Thank you, Levi.”

Levi flashed a salute, which really came out more as pressing his fist to his heart. He was halfway out the door when Erwin called out to him.

“Oh, Levi?”

“Yes?”

“How are you doing training Jaeger, Titan powers aside?”

“I’m taking him out on patrol later on today, to show him how we’ll be riding in formation.”

“Good. He’ll need to know how to ride hard.” Levi met Erwin’s steely gaze, his face a mask of indifference.

_Shit, Erwin always could tell when I’d found someone. I didn’t think I was being quite that obvious, but maybe I’m slipping up in my old age._

“Yes, sir.” Erwin reached for his stack of requisition papers with one last knowing look at Levi before the door clicked shut.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief excursion on horseback before the trip to recruit from the Trainee Corps has Levi deep in thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my tumblr: tigerine.tumblr.com  
> tracked tag: #fic: fumarole, #tigerine

Levi enjoyed horseback riding. He’d taken to it naturally, even before he’d joined the Survey Corps. The trust he had in this horse rivaled his trust he placed in his squad members. He had good instincts when it came to avoiding Titans, and he responded to the slightest pressure from Levi’s knees. They had a rapport, an understanding born from many hours together.  He couldn’t say the same for Eren’s horse, which was still getting used to him.

The klicks fell away under the hooves of their horses in the late morning sun.  Today was about pacing, recognizing your horse’s limits and making the best possible decisions to maximize their galloping time. Outside the walls, you had no way of knowing how long you would need to run. When you needed your horse to run, it had to run fast.  Balancing those two demands could save your life.

Tomorrow, they would be riding hard through a forest to the north, where Eren and the squad could switch to maneuver gear to keep their skills sharp. A few days without using the gear and the body began to forget the feeling of weightlessness, to learn again the fear of flying through the air. This was unacceptable. Levi’s team needed to be not only sharp, but in tune with each other’s abilities. Working together in field maneuvers built teamwork, improved coordination and established trust.

_Trust. There is still a lot to be done on that front._

A stone fence rose in front of them and they sailed over it, spalling sod as they landed.  Levi’s horse regained its gait easily, but Eren’s horse hesitated for a moment.  The meadow in front of them was open and flat, and Levi flexed his ankles and stood in the stirrups, urging the horse into a gallop, his thoughts wandering in spite of himself. He was distantly aware of Eren’s click of the reins behind him, wind and hoofbeats and his thoughts filling his head.

Hanji didn’t trust Eren as far as she could throw him. She was fantastically curious about him, but pragmatic: Eren’s Titan form was only slightly more communicative than a wild animal and infinitely more dangerous. Erd, Auruo and Gunther were still highly suspicious of Eren, much as they hated to admit it. It was difficult to change several years of habits learned at death’s knee.

Petra. She trusted Eren, but only as long as Levi did; it was Levi she trusted, not Eren. Mike trusted him, irrespective of Levi’s input. He said that Eren smelled like blood and rage, that it was an honest smell for a Corps member. Mike later confided to Levi that Eren’s smell was not only blood and rage: there was, when one knew what to look for, the stink of a Titan.

Levi couldn’t recall having smelled any Titan on Eren at all, and he’d been in pretty close quarters extremely recently. He slowed the horse to a trot; if he wasn’t careful, he’d end up lathering him and there was still quite a lot of riding yet to do today.

_Eren Jaeger.  He’s headstrong, but there are worse qualities in a soldier. Any arrogance he might have about his Titan abilities is absolutely dwarfed by his desire to prove himself to his team. It is a childish viewpoint in many ways, and childhood stops when you enter the Corps, if not sooner._

_And if he was a child before last night, he certainly isn’t one now. How do I even feel about that? This is why I don’t get involved with virgins._

No one batted an eye at the frequent sexual encounters that were had in the Trainee Barracks; there were nothing but teenagers present and the high stress and occasional deaths tended to throw people together. However, long-term romantic relationships were, if not discouraged, then met with cool judgment. If Eren chose not to sleep around in the barracks (or even kiss anyone, for pity’s sake), had he been romantically involved with someone in the Trainee Corps? The thought was distasteful to Levi.

_I’m already… kind of attached to him._

Levi absentmindedly tugged on the reins, turning his horse to look at Eren, who was bringing up the rear. “We should head back. We’ll need to be leaving for the Trainee compound soon.”

“We’re going to that?”

“Yes. Commander Smith is going, and we will be there to support him, along with the rest of the squad,” Levi said, nudging his horse into a walk. “Besides, I think you will have more of a role than you expect.”

“But I’ve already chosen the Survey Corps.”

***

“Jaeger?”

“Yes, sir!” The answer came from inside the barracks.

“Hurry it up. We don’t have all day.”

Eren came out in a stooped position, dragging his trunk. He was dressed in uniform again, although his clothes seemed looser on him than they were when he’d been taken into custody. _Sitting in a cell would sap anyone’s strength, I suppose._

He dropped the trunk and turned, snapping his left hand behind his back and his right fist against his chest in a salute. “Captain Levi, sir.”

Levi heard Hanji stifle a giggle. “Erd, Gunther, would you mind? We have a small piece of business to attend to.”

Erd and Gunther carried off the wooden trunk, leaving Eren standing in his salute.

“Would you like the honor, Levi?”

Levi turned to look at Hanji, who was not a little bit happy about welcoming Eren into the Corps; her face was flushed and she hadn’t had anything less than a smile on all morning. Her face had been a full-on grin for the last hour.  She offered him the package in her hand.

“I suppose I should. Brat’s only going to get this once.”

Levi took the parcel and stepped forward in front of Eren. Eren’s eyes, which were usually directed to the front, unwavering, as any good salute should be, drifted down to the Captain’s hands. Levi opened the wrapped package slowly, revealing the deep green of a Survey Corps cloak, and the stitched royal-and-white emblem of the “wings of freedom”, as he’d heard Eren breathlessly intone before he collapsed in Trost. “Welcome to the Corps, Eren.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

“Don’t just stand there. Put it on,” Levi said, only mildly irritated. _The kid was so enthusiastic._

It was a ceremony unlike any other Levi had ever been to or participated in; new recruits always received all their cloaks at once, and they shrugged into the trappings of their new lives together, when they still believed that they might all survive the Titans’ dreadful hunger. When they thought that they would be the graduating class that would make it to old age together.

But Eren’s cloak swept around his shoulders alone; there were no witnesses save for Levi and Hanji.

***

“You were assigned to the Survey Corps because you needed to be looked after,” Levi responded, snapping out of his recollection. “Having a Titan running loose inside the Walls is untenable.”

Eren fell quiet, his face plainly showing that Levi had unsettled him. _Sorry, brat. If it were up to me, you wouldn’t be on such a short leash, but I can’t speak for humanity on this one.  Plus,_ Levi added mentally, _it’s not like you’re not in danger all the time._

“We’ll need to train you and your horse together for the expedition,” Levi said.  “Get you used to each other.”

“I haven’t even decided on a name for him.”

“A name for him?”

Eren looked at Levi quizzically. “Yeah. What’s your horse’s name?”

Levi blinked. Naming horses wasn’t really something he spent a lot of time thinking about. “When I got him, he was the only black horse in the squad. He’s the Black.”

“The black one?” 

"Just the Black."

Eren’s laugh was easy, carefree. “Do you really not have any imagination at all, Captain?”  

Levi couldn’t completely keep a smirk off his face. “No, I don’t. Naming horses that are likely to be lost or killed isn’t a valuable use of my time.”  He kicked his horse forward into a trot. “Let’s get back to headquarters. We’ll discuss the naming conventions of livestock later.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I completely ripped off the Black Stallion and Levi's horse is named "the Black". Yes, I was one of those girls who watched nothing but horse movies when I was younger.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A visit to the Trainee Camp piques Eren's curiosity about Levi's role and their chances of survival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tracked tags: #tourmalineundine, #fic: fumarole  
> my tumblr: tourmalineundine.tumblr.com
> 
> Sorry this took so long; a little bit of tumult in my personal life made things difficult for a while. We'll also be moving into the month between Trost and the Expedition, so there will be more original content.

The ride to the Trainee Corps compound took the rest of the day. Even as they rode, Eren found himself surrounded by the members of Levi’s—no, _his_ —squad.  Erwin led the group, his gray destrier setting an easy pace; the rest of the horses responded to the natural leadership of Erwin’s stallion, cleaving to him as they wound across farmland in the afternoon sun.

_I wonder why they needed me to come along on this. Aren’t we supposed to be keeping my visibility low?_

Levi had simply blinked once when he asked and said, “It’s up to Erwin, not me or you. We’ll go where we’re ordered to.”

So here he was, riding back to the barracks he’d called home for three years. He felt apprehensive, but also excited. _Maybe I’ll get to see Mikasa and Armin tonight._ The thought made him really happy.

Erwin and Levi left their horses for Ness to take care of and walked into the administrative building. Levi paused at the door to turn and look back at Eren, almost like wanted to say something, but then he appeared to think better of it and disappeared indoors.

“Eren, glad to see you’re doing well,” Ness said, leading Erwin’s horse into the stables and Levi’s into one opposite it.

“Y-yeah,” Eren said in reply. The rest of the squad filed in with them, their faces serious. Hanji had a large tube that she had ridden with, tucked under one arm like a rifle.  Each of them shucked the tack from their horses with practiced ease, the scent of sweat-damp blankets and sweet hay mingling in the stables.

The drill field was just beyond the courtyard of the stables; Erd and Gunther waited behind for Eren and walked with him to the back of the stage.  Erwin Smith was already there, standing at parade rest, staring at the torches. He turned as Eren and the rest of the squad approached.

“Eren Jaeger, good to see you again.”

Eren snapped into a salute. “Commander, sir!”

Erwin’s face softened into a small smile. “At ease, Jaeger.”

“Yes sir!”

Erwin looked at Erd and Gunther, some unknown communication passing between them. Erwin nodded almost imperceptibly, and then moved up into the wings of the stage, speaking with Mike and Hanji.  The potential recruits were gathering in front of the stage in the dusk, and Eren realized suddenly that Levi was nowhere to be found.

“Erd, have you seen the Captain?”

Erd’s face changed; he stiffened slightly and rolled his shoulders non-committally. “He has other business to take care of.”

 _Other business to take care of? Didn’t we need to be here to support the Commander_? Eren began to push his hood back, but Gunther touched his elbow and shook his head. Eren’s hand fell back to his side; there was nothing to be done. Gunther’s face didn’t exactly invite further questioning, and all the other faces around him wore the same serious expression, grimly painted with firelight and shadow.

***

_I don’t want him in here!_

Levi didn’t really blame Shadis for not wanting a Titan shifter in the same building with the visiting brass. Erwin deferred to him as a guest, but he’d given Levi a cool look as Levi led Eren to one of the unused barracks.

Levi was shucking his jacket before Eren had even closed the door.

“I didn’t see you during Erwin’s presentation,” Eren said, easing his own jacket off.

“You weren’t supposed to see me.” The rooftops of the nearby buildings and his dark cloak had kept him hidden from potential observers but ready to respond if a threat to Eren’s life presented itself. _I didn’t really think that anyone would make an attempt on his life here. Too much at risk_. Levi turned to face Eren, his fingers pulling at his cravat.

Eren was perched on the edge of one of the double bunk beds. His eyes darted to the stack of linens they’d been given and Levi’s eyes followed his, one eyebrow lifted.

“Top or bottom bunk?”

“Hmm?” Eren looked like he’d been deep in thought. “Oh. “ He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter much to me. I could sleep anyplace I fell.”

Levi nodded slowly, ignoring the invitation hidden in Eren’s words. He chucked one of the pillows at Eren, and the linens after that, and continued undressing.  Eren watched him for a moment and then turned, tucking his head under one of the bunks and beginning to push the sheets under the mattress. 

“During training, which one did you choose?” Levi was not actually curious, but the conversation forestalled the discussion of how many beds to make.  

“Top,” Eren replied.

_But he chose the bottom bunk tonight._

Erwin’s cool look stuck with Levi, the silent caution they’d used to communicate so many times before. That look was something that usually brooked no argument, but Levi actually found him questioning Erwin’s judgment.  It would have been better if he’d actually been able to ask what Erwin was trying to caution him about , but Erwin had stayed to talk with Shadis in private, and Eren was pretty much dead on his feet from all the riding they’d done that day.

_This really only leaves one choice for me: do I make my bed next to his or not? I wouldn’t mind sharing a bed with him, but I can’t help feeling kind of exposed like this…_

Hanging his jacket on one of the bedposts and his harness on top of his jacket, Levi picked up his stack of bed linens and padded around to the bunk next to Eren’s, stacking the sheets on the top bunk. Eren had finished spreading out his blanket and began to unbuckle his harness.  

The safe choice would be the top bunk.

Levi purposely did not watch Eren undressing, focusing on making the bed, jerking the sheets taut and making knife-sharp hospital corners. He slid between the cool linen sheets in his underwear before Eren was finished getting ready for bed, and pulled the blanket over him in spite of the warm night, his back to Eren.  The light of the lamp vanished on the walls and when he felt Eren’s weight rock the bed, he closed his eyes, hoping he wouldn’t shift over further.

“Levi?”

“Hmm?”

“Are the numbers the Commander said in his speech real?”

“Which numbers are those?”

“The… death rate. Of the Survey Corps.”

Levi turned over in bed, finding Eren laying on his back, similarly undressed, his hands tucked behind his head.  Even in the dim light afforded by the barracks windows, Levi could see the way Eren’s pectoral muscles tucked into his biceps and the taut lines of his serratus curving around the side of his torso.

Everyone in the Corps had what could be generously called a ‘wiry’ look: despite the extra rations that came with being in the military, everyone seemed only a week away from starvation. Women in the Corps received an extra ration to keep their body fat stores slightly higher, but it was nearly useless; fuel was spent the moment it was taken in.

Eren had not yet acquired that near-starvation look and Levi’s fingers itched to trace the ridges of his muscles down his side, down to his iliac crest and wrap his hands greedily around—

“Levi?”

“The numbers are correct.” Levi turned back over in bed. _Too much longer looking at him like that and I’ll have problems sleeping._

“Are we all going to die?”

“No.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I’m not. I’m telling you what you want to hear.”

After a moment of silent stillness, Levi felt Eren lean over and tuck his arm around Levi’s waist, pulling him against him and Eren’s warm lips pressed against his shoulder, planting kisses against his skin.

Levi’s skin tingled, electrified by the intimacy, the closeness, the warmth of his lover. But he turned over, breaking the embrace and captured Eren’s chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Not tonight, Eren.”

_God, he’s actually pouting._

“When I say ‘not tonight’, I don’t mean not _ever_ ,” He pulled Eren in for a rough kiss. “I mean ‘not tonight’, because we’re in a drafty barracks away from home where scores of horny teenagers have fumbled through their first unsatisfactory sexual experiences and premature ejaculations.” 

Levi pulled away and dropped his head back on his own pillow. “So go the fuck to sleep. We ride back at first light.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Eren prepare to head back to HQ.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my tumblr: tigerine.tumblr.com  
> tracked tags: #tigerine, #fic: fumarole
> 
> I know this has been a long time in coming. The whole point of shorter chapters was so that I could knock one out in a day or two and you guys wouldn't have to wait so long. But then Dramatical Murder happened. And other visual novels. And manga. And other fics. And real life crap. In short, there's no excuse for it taking this long, but I'll try to be more prompt in the future. Thanks for sticking with me.

The temperature dipped low in the night; the next morning was cool and foggy. Eren’s eyes snapped open before dawn and he turned to his side to find Levi with his arms tucked behind his head, staring at the underside of the bunk. At Eren’s movement, he turned his head to look at him.

“Morning,” Eren mumbled drowsily, rubbing his eyes.

“Mm,” Levi replied, his voice thick with sleep.

Eren slid over next to Levi. Levi gave a soft grunt of protest as Eren’s hand slid around his waist, but Eren was content simply to hold him and didn’t press the issue. After a few moments, Levi untucked his right arm and let it fall, draping loosely around Eren’s shoulders. Eren wriggled closer, pillowing his head in the crook between Levi’s arm and his chest.

Eren was beginning to drift off again, lulled by the warmth and Levi’s even breathing when Levi suddenly sat up, letting Eren’s head fall to the thin mattress with a clunk.

“Ow!”

“We need to get moving,” Levi said, ignoring Eren’s yelp. “Daylight’s burning.”

Eren rubbed the sore spot on the back of his head where he’d hit it on the bed, fixing Levi with a hurt look. Levi stared back at him, unmoved. “We have a long way to go, and still more to do when we get there.”

The tone of his voice brooked no opposition. Eren slid out of bed, leaning to untuck the sheets from the bed and wrapping them up to take them to the laundry. Levi stood at the washstand; where there might normally be ten people swilling and spitting out night-breath, he stood alone, rubbing at his teeth with a bone-handled toothbrush.

With the linens in a pile, Eren began to dress himself, tugging on his trousers and harness, acutely aware of Levi’s presence as he moved about the room. The silence was nearly oppressive, broken only by the soft sounds of rustling fabric and the jingling of their harnesses. By the time Eren was done dressing, Levi was standing in front of the steel mirror at the washstand, tying his cravat. Eren stood, waiting for his inspection.

Levi turned in place, still tugging at his cravat, running his eyes over the stripped bunks. After a moment, he nodded shortly. “Get everything squared away. I’ll meet you at the stables.”

Eren nodded smartly, snapping himself to attention. “Yes, sir.”

Levi hesitated for just a moment, appraising Eren, before turning and walking out of the barracks.

Eren finished cleaning up the barracks and left the linens in the large hamper in the laundry; it would be for the Garrison-bound trainees to take care of before they left. When he entered the stables, their horses were stirring in their stalls, nosing out over the doors to see who had come into the building.  Levi and Eren were the first to arrive, their footsteps loud in the quiet.

“Water them. They’ll have to saddle them on their own, but we can speed them along that much.” Levi looked across the courtyard to see if any of the rest of their group had stumbled out of the warmth and comfort of the administrative building. Eren could see from his sour expression that they had not.

It was only after all the Survey Corps horses had been watered and Eren brushed down his horse that Erd and Gunther arrived in the stables.

“You’re late.” Levi’s voice sounded more irritated than he looked.

Erd and Gunther looked at each other and then at Eren. Eren got the feeling that somehow Erd and Gunther were not late, but that Levi was simply early.

“Sorry about that,” Erd said. Gunther smiled sheepishly.

“Did you enjoy your nice soft beds?”

Gunther opened his mouth to speak but Erd shot him a glare that could have brought down a hawk. “They were adequate,” Erd replied at last.

“Good, because we’ll be riding hard today.”

The door to the stables opened again and Erwin stepped in, his green cloak around his shoulders. “Morning, everyone.”

Erd, Gunther, and Eren all saluted, but Levi looked at Erwin with a curl in his lip. “I bet you’ve already had a warm breakfast, Erwin. You have that kind of well-fed look.”

Erwin’s face remained unreadable, but his lips twitched in a small smile. “On the contrary, breakfast isn’t until seven.”

“Well, I hope you enjoy it,” Levi said. “We plan to be out of here before that.”

Erwin’s smile melted away and he nodded.

Levi turned to look at Erd and Gunther. “Joining us in a breakfast of hard tack and water?”

“Do we have a choice?” Erd said with an apologetic smile.

Levi’s face didn’t change. “No.”

Gunther broke out in a grin. “Guess we’ll eat when we get back, then.”

The door opened again, and Hanji, Mike, Petra and Auruo filed in. Petra carried a rucksack and Auruo had a full waterskin slung over his back. Hanji was talking in low tones to Mike, who had a serious expression.  Petra reached into the bag and pulled out a few paper-wrapped parcels: hard tack, a dense, mostly flavorless brick of unleavened bread, scored into meal portions. Hanji and Mike talked with Erwin in low voices while Levi and his squad stood around gnawing at the biscuits. Eren was pleased to find that this batch had been made with rendered lard, leaving his lips slick with fat.

“Good morning, Eren!” Hanji said brightly, stepping over to see him. “No problems during the night?”

“He turned into a Titan but you must have missed it over in the administration building,” Levi snarked.

“Maybe I should be the one sleeping with him next time,” Hanji quipped.

Levi’s eyes flicked to Eren briefly and then back to Hanji. “Do whatever you like,” he said.

It stung more than it should have, being dismissed in such a way. But this was how it had to be. These were the terms of their arrangement, and Eren understood that, at least for now, appearances had to be maintained.

“We’re leaving in ten minutes,” Levi said. “Get your horses saddled and meet in the courtyard.” He dropped a handful of crumbs to the stable floor and then walked over to talk to Erwin and Mike.

Petra and Auruo exchanged glances and then looked at Hanji.

“Beats me,” Hanji said with a shrug, looking to Erd and Gunther and then to Eren.

Erd shook his head slowly. “Probably just pissed from having to sleep out in a drafty old barracks,” he muttered.

Eren shifted from one foot to the other and then turned on his heel to finish saddling his horse. At least he could do his best to satisfy Levi’s impatience to leave by being ready to go.

**xXx**

“Is it really necessary to do this right now?” Levi griped.

Erwin lifted an eyebrow. “We’ve been over this, Levi. “ He lifted his eyes to Hanji, who was chatting with Levi’s squad as they finished breakfast and saddled their horses. “Hanji thinks that the sooner we try this, the better.”

“We’ll have a month to practice maneuvers—“

“And four new squads to train them in. Seven formation groups. It all has to go perfectly.” Mike’s tone was matter-of-fact. “We also have to give them a geography lesson. They’re too young to remember what’s outside Rose.”

“Train their horses—“ Erwin said.

“Emergency protocols—“ Mike chimed back.

“Maybe we could even work in some Titan training with Eren—“

“Fine, fine.” Levi grumbled. “This should be easy enough to relay to them.”

Mike looked at him appraisingly, taking a deep breath and then blowing it out his nose with a small smirk.

“I imagine Hanji has a copy of the plans?” Levi’s voice was back to being level and measured. Once something was decided, it was best to let it go.

“She knows them, but we thought it best to keep physical copies limited,” Erwin said with a knowing look at Mike.

Levi absorbed this information with a passive expression. He looked at Erwin and, in that strange way of communicating they had, their posture and eye contact spoke volumes.

It meant that the investigation by the Military Police into the deaths of the Titan test subjects had turned up no leads. It meant that there was still a threat to Eren from within the walls. And worse, that Erwin’s hare-brained scheme to draw out the traitors with this abbreviated expedition in one month’s time would go ahead as planned. The entire month he would have to be on the lookout for daggers from the shadows.

It wasn’t easy being in the Survey Corps, knowing you or your team could die at any time, even if it was for the glory of humanity or the greater good of knowledge about the Titans. Within the walls was a time for reflection and honing combat skills, not watching your back for treachery. Levi simmered with barely contained anger. If he ever got his hands on who was responsible, they would understand fully what it meant to wreak havoc on his routines.

“Your squad already knew the long-range detection formation, but they’ll have a copy to explain to Eren. Unless you’d rather explain it to him yourself?” Erwin’s question was innocent, but Levi fixed him with a cold stare.

“I trust my squad’s ability to explain things to him.” Levi turned and looked over his shoulder at Eren, who was leading his horse out of the stall. “It’s best if I limit contact with him.”

“Levi—“

“Don’t start, Erwin. We’re not going to have this discussion right now.”

“We will have to have it. Whether you like it or not.”

Levi turned back as Eren led his horse from the barn and leveled his flinty gaze on the Commander. “I’m well aware of that. But now is not the time.”

Mike snorted softly, drawing Levi’s eyes away from Erwin.

“Levi—“ Erwin began again, but Levi turned his piercing gaze back on his superior.

“I know what I’m doing, Erwin,” Levi said in a low voice. “Don’t interfere.”


End file.
